The Economist Intelligence Unit has launched a new ESG rating service.

The EIU says it’s new solution looks to measure the true impact that governments, businesses and society have on sustainability. The new rating service uses multiple indicators across nine different categories and includes:

• Country-level ratings for 150 countries, updated quarterly
• Underlying scores for 90 indicators
• Historic ratings and indicators dating back to 2015
• Quarterly analysis of key trends and developments shaping the sustainability agenda

Lyndsey Anderson, global head of research and insight at EIU says, “The environmental, social and governance landscape varies considerably across geographic markets, with some countries providing a more supportive environment to ethical operators and others laden with reputational and compliance risks. For this reason, it is essential to incorporate country-level ESG considerations into decision-making.

Yet, data is typically patchy and subjective. Plus, the lack of consensus on how to define ESG leaves our clients struggling to understand exactly what it is they need to measure. As the expectations of both financiers and consumers are growing, it is increasingly urgent for firms to adopt a credible assessment of ESG”.