In a May 2025 commentary, Denis Panel, CEO of Sycomore Asset Management, urges investors to stop treating the “S” (Social) in ESG as secondary to environmental and governance factors. While the EU’s environmental taxonomy is in place, a social taxonomy lags, hindered by the complex, context-specific nature of social issues like working conditions, diversity, and human rights. Panel highlights emerging regulations like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) but stresses that investors must act now, developing tools to quantify social impacts for risk management, societal benefit, and long-term value. As ESG frameworks evolve, can the social dimension gain equal footing, or will its complexity keep it sidelined?

The Social Challenge in ESG

The “S” in ESG encompasses labor standards, employee well-being, diversity, human rights, and product societal impact, but it’s often overshadowed. In 2024, only 20% of ESG funds globally prioritized social metrics, compared to 60% for environmental, per Morningstar. Panel notes the EU’s environmental taxonomy, implemented in 2022, classifies green activities but lacks a social equivalent, with discussions stalled since a 2022 Platform on Sustainable Finance report. Reasons include:

• Quantification Difficulty: Unlike CO2 emissions (e.g., 245,000 tons avoided by TotalEnergies’ 263 MW solar), social metrics like “fair wages” vary by region. No universal benchmark exists, unlike carbon’s ton-based standard.

• Context-Specificity: Social issues are tied to local laws and cultures. For example, France’s 35-hour workweek contrasts with India’s 48-hour norm, complicating global standards.

• Political Sensitivity: Topics like union rights or re-shoring spark debate. In 2024, 30% of EU firms faced backlash over social disclosures, per EY.

Despite this, social risks are material. Poor labor practices cost companies $4 trillion annually in turnover and lawsuits, per Gallup, while 70% of consumers favor socially responsible brands, per NielsenIQ 2025.

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Emerging Clarity and Tools

The EU’s CSRD, effective 2024, mandates 11,000+ companies to report social impacts, covering workforce diversity (e.g., gender pay gaps, 14% EU average) and supply chain rights (e.g., 10% of global firms linked to forced labor, per ILO). This builds on the 2022 Social Taxonomy Report, proposing metrics like living wages and health safety. Sycomore, managing €8 billion, uses proprietary tools like SPICE (Sustainability, People, Innovation, Clients, Environment) to score firms on social performance, integrating:

• Employee Metrics: Turnover rates, training hours (EU average: 25 hours/employee/year).

• Supply Chain: Audits for human rights, with 80% of Sycomore’s portfolio compliant.

• Product Impact: Assessing societal value, e.g., healthcare firms’ access-to-medicine initiatives.

Panel argues investors must develop such tools now, as CSRD compliance costs €100,000-€500,000 per firm, per PwC, and non-compliance risks €10 million fines.

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Why It Matters

Social issues drive financial and societal outcomes. Firms with strong social practices see 20% higher returns, per MSCI, and 15% lower volatility. The WTTC-Greenview ESG Policy Tracker shows tourism firms adopting social disclosures gain 10% market share. Yet, social neglect fuels risks:

• Reputational: 40% of 2024 corporate scandals involved labor or rights issues, per Edelman.

• Regulatory: EU’s 2025 Supply Chain Due Diligence Directive could penalize 9,000 firms.

• Economic: Social unrest, like 2023 France pension protests, cost €1 billion in disruptions.

Panel’s call aligns with trends like Snam’s $2B SLB, tying debt to Scope 3 emissions (including supplier labor), and BlackRock’s CCUS stake, supporting jobs in HyNet’s 2,000-strong cluster.

Challenges and Risks

• Data Gaps: Only 30% of firms report social metrics, per Bloomberg, vs. 80% for emissions. SMEs, 80% of tourism, lack resources, as seen with WTTC’s tracker.

• Greenwashing: Vague social claims risk backlash; 25% of 2024 ESG funds faced scrutiny, per ESMA.

• Policy Delays: A social taxonomy may not launch until 2027, per EU Council, slowing standardization.

• U.S. Risks: Trump’s 2025 deregulation, as seen in Columbia River cuts, may weaken global social mandates, impacting 40% of Sycomore’s U.S. holdings.

What’s Next?

Sycomore plans to enhance SPICE with AI-driven social scoring by 2026, aiming for 100% portfolio coverage. The EU’s 2025 CSRD review may accelerate social taxonomy talks, targeting 2027 adoption. Globally, ISSB’s 2024 social disclosure standards could align 50 countries by 2030, per IFRS. Initiatives like Alt Carbon’s $12M CDR, boosting farmer livelihoods, show social-environmental synergy.

“Social impact isn’t secondary—it’s core to value creation,” Panel said.

As ESG matures, prioritizing the “S” could redefine investing. Will tools and regulations catch up, or will complexity keep social issues on the sidelines?

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