ISS ESG, the sustainable investment arm of index provider STOXX, has published methodology enhancements to its Governance QualityScore (GQS) solution for global institutional investors. The methodology is part of wider expansion efforts that include the introduction of 12 new factors in GQS, and the extension of existing factors to new markets for more comprehensive assessments of corporate governance risk. The additions are spread across three areas: new factors covering information security, CEO non-compete clauses and virtual-only shareholder meetings; expansion of existing factors to new markets to increase global applicability; and expansion of geographic coverage to include nearly 150 companies in Taiwan. “With this update, we are responding to strong demand for coverage of Taiwan that will … bring total Asia-Pacific coverage to roughly 2,000 companies,” said Guillaume Tassin, Head of Data Solutions at ISS ESG. “The update also demonstrates our commitment to both high-quality governance content and comprehensive coverage, as we continue to expand coverage in countries within the STOXX Emerging Markets index.” A verification period between 11-22 November will allow companies to verify and submit changes to their data on all factors before scores are made available under the updated methodology.
