ESG Analyst Survey 2023

At Fidelity, we are proud of our large team of global analysts: experts in their fields who build deep connections with the companies they cover, their suppliers, customers and competitors. It is all the more powerful, then, that these are the people who don’t just focus on the financial aspects, but also apply their techniques and insight to sustainable investing analysis, forming a holistic view of a company’s actions and how they compare with their peers and the wider world.

The 2023 Fidelity ESG Analyst Survey – our third - asks whether companies’ net zero plans are credible. The answer is: not yet. There are gaps in technology, a shortage of ambition and the money currently allocated to reducing carbon emissions is well short of what’s required.

Key findings

• With 2030 drawing ever closer, the results from our survey show that our analysts believe most companies surveyed aren’t spending enough to hit their net zero targets by the end of this decade.
• In the immediate future, the stresses caused by the world’s current weak economic situation will not help. As business conditions become tougher, managers will be under pressure to focus on immediate results over longer-term sustainability.
• The topic of greenwashing is still at play: almost 60% of our analysts estimate that their companies promote ESG credentials not backed up by their actions. This is where corporate governance and regulation will have a big part to play in levelling the field.