Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting has proven to be a challenge for many companies, with some seeing it more as an opportunity to polish their eco-friendly credentials through “greenwashing” rather than provide meaningful disclosure.

But even those companies that want to follow best practice have said reporting requirements are onerous and unclear while metrics used to demonstrate progress are not standardized and deliver little value.

Neil Hodge is a freelance business journalist and photographer based in Nottingham, United Kingdom. He writes on insurance and risk management, corporate governance, internal audit, compliance, and legal...