Although there is an increased awareness in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, there is no common approach on how to reflect ESG in business valuations. That’s the topic of a new perspective paper from the International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) that represents an early step “on the path toward a more systematic approach to the incorporation of ESG into business valuation practice and standards,” the organization says. The IVSC had a recent panel discussion, Unlocking the Value of ESG, and a recording of that is available. The IVSC would like to hear your views on this paper and on ESG as it relates to valuation. Share your feedback through the IVSC Group page on LinkedIn or by emailing contact@ivsc.org.

For more reading on the topic, see KPMG’s Quarterly Brief—International Valuation Newsletter for the first quarter of 2021. The KPMG brief suggests an approach to viewing business valuation through an “ESG lens” that involves assessing the ESG impact on cash flows and the discount rate and using probability-weighted scenarios.