What’s the implication of this data for performance, risk, or engagement? What’s driving the change? And how should we respond?
That’s where slicing and dicing ESG data becomes essential. It’s not just a technical exercise, it’s how we move from information to insight.
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It is not just about comparability, it is about clarity
Breaking ESG data down by sector, fund, or geography, or adjusting for revenue or headcount, helps make metrics more comparable. But the real value lies in what these slices reveal.For example, imagine your portfolio shows a notable improvement in overall emissions intensity. At first glance, this looks like a broad portfolio-wide achievement. But when you slice the data by sector and asset size, you discover that most of the improvement is driven by a single infrastructure company that completed a major renewable energy transition. While the headline result is encouraging, slicing the data helps you understand where the progress is happening, and where further engagement may still be needed.
Slicing helps uncover the story behind the data, turning raw metrics into meaningful context. -
Better data, better decisions
When ESG data is broken down meaningfully, it becomes a powerful tool for decision-making. Investors can identify where to engage, which risks to monitor, and how to allocate capital more effectively. It also supports more targeted stewardship, helping investors ask sharper questions and set clearer expectations with portfolio companies.
For example, slicing governance data by region might reveal that board independence is strong in European holdings but lags in certain emerging markets. That insight can shape engagement focus and inform voting decisions. Similarly, slicing social data by company size might show that smaller firms in the portfolio are underreporting workforce diversity, prompting a deeper look at disclosure practices.
By focusing on what’s material, whether that’s climate risk in energy, or supply chain practices in consumer goods, investors can align ESG analysis with their investment thesis and values. -
Understanding what’s driving change
One of the most valuable outcomes of slicing ESG data is the ability to pinpoint what’s driving change. Whether it’s a shift in emissions, diversity metrics, or board composition, slicing the data to isolate key metrics helps you trace the source, and respond accordingly.
Ultimately, asset managers want to use key metrics in ESG data to drive and demonstrate positive outcomes for people, planet, and profit. Only by having the power to slice, dice, and interrogate the data can they achieve such by identifying the signal amongst the noise.
Our platform is designed to support this kind of analysis. We enable users to explore ESG data across multiple views and dimensions, from sector and fund to geography and time, helping them move beyond surface-level metrics to uncover the “So what?” behind the numbers.
Insight beats information.
And slicing and dicing is how you get there.