New tool enables organisations to track global ESG developments

Developed over the past 18 months, the tool uses a combination of human and artificial intelligence to monitor ESG-related legal developments in all jurisdictions across the world.

The firm's new 'Global ESG Tracker' has been designed to source information across the entire range of ESG issues – from climate change policies, nature and biodiversity and the energy transition to water and waste, employment conditions, human rights and directors' duties.

As changes to policy, regulation or legislation are identified, content is fed into a centralised collaboration platform. It is then used to generate customised reports for clients, enabling teams to prepare for upcoming legal, sustainability or financial reporting and action-led requirements.

"The principles on which ESG reporting is based are, by now, increasingly well understood, yet the increased demand on businesses to account for their impact on people and planet is a more recent development. For many organisations, the ability to keep up to date with changes across multiple jurisdictions is a daunting task, particularly in an environment dominated by fast-paced change," says Silke Goldberg, partner and global head of ESG at Herbert Smith Freehills.

Developed by a working group created from Herbert Smith Freehills' Digital Legal Delivery and ESG practices and led by ESG director, Ernst Muller, the Global ESG Tracker has been launched as the latest in a suite of tools created to assist clients keep on top of ESG legal requirements. It follows the launch of the firm's CSRD Mapper in May 2024 and is available via a monthly subscription.