Investors find obtaining material company data the biggest challenge in ESG integration, according to a survey by State Street Global Advisors.

In a poll of 300 institutional investors and fund managers, it found that financially material disclosures is the biggest concern, and as such, investment firms are now beginning to push for mandated disclosures. Rakhi Kumar, head of ESG investments and asset stewardship at SSGA told the inaugural meeting of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee this month that, “Companies and investors need to agree upon consistent and commonly accepted frameworks for financially material ESG issues”.

The voluntary nature of the disclosure led to the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board publishing reporting standards last year although many US companies still report ad hoc via corporate sustainability reports.