ESG Data Collection and economic activity classification
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Swedish House Of Finance |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 5 000 000 |
| Project duration | July 2022 - November 2025 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Financial Market Research |
| Call | Research on Financial markets 2022-2024 |
Important results from the project
The project had two objectives: 1. Collecting ESG data for large and mid-cap Nordic companies, with the collected data forming the Nordic Compass database, which is distributed free of charge for academic research. 2. Increase knowledge of the causal relationship between economic activities and their environmental and social impacts. 1. has been completed fully according to plan, and the results meet the established goals. 2. has been significantly expanded and has therefore been delayed.
Expected long term effects
The data we collect enables empirical research in economics and finance from a sustainability perspective. By safeguarding academic interests and incorporating this perspective into system and method development, we have produced sustainability data aligned with the SDG taxonomy, at a level of granularity not previously available commercially. We believe this is crucial for advancing the research frontier in the field.
Approach and implementation
For the collection of ESG data for the Nordic Compass database, we had four teams between 2022 and 2025, comprising a total of 17 men and 21 women. Each team, averaging about ten members, gathered data over a period of eight to ten weeks. The data were then processed and ultimately distributed to students and researchers. Regarding SDG data, we have contributed to system and method development.