How to License SASB Standards

Organizations around the world integrate SASB Standards into their commercial activities.

Through our licensing program, SASB Standards, evidence behind the determination of the Standards, and ancillary mappings to third party data sets can inform and enhance a variety of use cases.

If you are interested in integrating SASB Standards into your commercial activities, please contact [email protected].

Answers to common questions below will help with some of the basic elements of understanding licensing, and any additional questions can be directed to [email protected].

Questions from Companies

I work for a company that is interested in disclosing consistent with the SASB Standards, is a license required?

SASB Standards are free for non-commercial use, such as corporate disclosure. For detailed instructions on how to get started, please visit the Implementation Primer.

Do you collect data and metrics from companies reporting using the SASB Standards?

There is no obligation for companies to report their SASB-aligned disclosures to SASB Standards technical staff, as this information is designed to be in the public domain. For licensees interested in a list of companies making disclosures consistent with SASB Standards, please see our list of reporting companies.

Questions from Consultants

What is the difference between licensing SASB Standards IP and the Consultant Content Program?

Licensing the SASB Standards grants organizations the rights and permissions to integrate SASB Standards and/or related IP into their systems, products, and/or services. Current licensees include asset managers, data and analytics firms, and software providers.

The SASB Standards Consultant Content Program offers the following content resources to help corporate sustainability consultants inform their clients:

Two exclusive update briefings per year to access emerging information about use of SASB Standards
Updated SASB Standards slide decks explaining the SASB Standards and where they fit in the broader ESG ecosystem
A listing in the SASB Standards Consultant Content Program directory on the SASB Standards website
Use of the SASB Standards Consultant Content Program logo

For more information about the Consultant Content Program, please contact us at https://sasb.wpengine.com/contact/.

Questions About Commercial Use

I want to use SASB IP commercially, how do I get the appropriate rights and permissions?

Please email [email protected] and we will get back to you quickly to explore your interest.

How is commercial use of the SASB Standards defined?

Commercial use of SASB Standards and related IP is permissible when a licensing agreement is in place with the IFRS Foundation. Commercial use of SASP Standards IP in the absence of such an agreement violates the copyright protections of SASB Standards IP.

Examples of non-commercial and commercial use are included below:

Non-commercial use:

Using the Standards for your industry (or industries) to collect data and report your organization’s performance internally or externally
Consulting the Materiality Map™ to learn about SASB Standards
Using SASB Standards for engagement with portfolio companies
Using SASB Standards for manager selection and/or evaluation (limited to asset owners)
Referencing SASB Standards in proxy voting guidelines or investment policies
Publishing an article or non-commercial content that includes limited content from SASB Standards or other IFRS sustainability resources

Commercial use:

Incorporating the Materiality Map™ (or a substantial reproduction of the Materiality Map™) into an internal research database
Using SASB Standards (or a substantial reproduction of the Standards) to rate or evaluate companies
Mapping SASB Standards or the Materiality Map™ to a third-party data vendor and/or ESG ratings vendor
Incorporating SASB Standards into investible products, ratings products, or products offering ESG data
Incorporating SASB Standards into research reports or analytics platforms
Using SASB Standards for manager selection and/or evaluation in an investment process on behalf of fee-paying clients
Using SASB Standards in a consultative or advisory basis

Questions About Content

What SASB Standards IP is available to license aside from the Materiality Map™?

All of IP available for licensing includes:

SASB Standards, the evidence behind the Standards, and links to third-party data sets and schema are updated periodically as standard-setting projects conclude or as third parties evolve their methodologies. All licensees will be provided resources to account for any changes to ensure seamless updates and integration. The SASB Standards technical staff updates the database of 89,000+ public entity ISINs mapped to their respective SICS® industry on a quarterly basis. These updates will be delivered by the 15th day of each new quarter.

If you are looking to access the Standards for informational (i.e. non-commercial) purposes, we suggest downloading Standards for one sector at a time. If you are looking to access the standards for commercial purposes, we can ease your use of SASB IP and get you the rights to use SASB IP. SASB Standards are available for licensees in a consolidated and easily navigable manner, as part of a licensing relationship. In addition to rights to use SASB IP, we provide a flexible file, IP rights, technical support, and rights to use SASB marks.

The SASB Standards (and Materiality Map) at different levels of granularity to best suit your organization’s needs
Mappings to third-party frameworks and data providers such as the Sustainable Development Goals and third-party raters and rankers such as (MSCI, Sustainalytics, and others).
A database of 90,000+ public entity ISINs mapped to their respective industry within SASB Standards Sustainable Industry Classification System® (SICS®)
SASB Standards disclosure topics and the corresponding impact on financial drivers
SASB Standards disclosure topics and the corresponding climate risks from the TCFD and the SASB Climate Risk Technical Bulletin
SASB Standards corporate engagement questions for all 77 SICS® industries
SASB Standards disclosure topics and the corresponding industry working group (IWG) materiality ratings

How often is the licensing content for SASB Standards updated

SASB Standards, the evidence behind the Standards and links to third-party data sets and schema are updated periodically as standard-setting projects conclude or as third parties evolve their methodologies. All licensees will be provided resources to account for any changes to ensure seamless updates and integration. SASB Standards technical staff updates the database of 89,000+ public entity ISINs mapped to their respective SICS® industry on a quarterly basis. These updates will be delivered by the 15th day of each new quarter.

Questions Regarding Technical Difficulties

I have tried to download several of the Standards and am experiencing technical difficulties, can you help?

If you are looking to access the standards for informational (i.e. non-commercial) purposes, we suggest downloading Standards for one sector at a time. If you are looking to access the standards for commercial purposes, we can ease your use of SASB IP and get you the rights to use SASB IP. SASB Standards are available for licensees in a consolidated and easily navigable manner, as part of a licensing relationship. In addition to rights to use SASB IP, SASB provides a flexible file, IP rights, technical support, and rights to use SASB marks.

Is the SASB Materiality Map™ available in an excel file?

Yes, SASB’s Materiality Map™, which is a visualization of the more detailed Standards, can be accessed through a formal licensing agreement. If you would like access to this file and the rights to use the contents of the map in your commercial activities, please email [email protected] to get started.

Questions From Non Commercial Users

Can I use SASB Standards in academic research? If so, how do I proceed?

No-cost academic licenses are available. For requests, please contact [email protected] with details about your research so we can identify the tools to best support your work.

Can I make references to SASB Standards content in written materials such as reports, presentations, or other publications?

Yes, SASB Standards content can be referenced in articles, reports and other educational publications. Please email [email protected] and describe your considered use to get started and receive appropriate permissions.

Common Questions

Do you provide ESG ratings?

No. The SASB Foundation was, and the IFRS Foundation is, an independent standard setter. We do not assess individual companies on their performance on ESG issues. If you’d like to learn more about how SASB Standards are used by ESG rating and ranking organizations, email [email protected].

In generating a unique ESG score for listed companies, R-Factor™ leverages SASB Standards—which are focused on the subset of ESG factors most likely to have material financial impacts on a company in a given industry—to screen performance data from multiple sources.

What is your role in ESG indexes?

Because indexes and the funds that track them represent an important opportunity for investors to allocate capital in alignment with the SASB Standards financial materiality-based approach to ESG investing, the IFRS Foundation licenses SASB Standards for the creation of indexes and investible products. We approach these agreements with a few guiding principles:

The IFRS Foundation contributes the industry-based SASB Standards but does not rate company performance on the standards. Rating, ranking, and scoring is the role of licensees.
We work with multiple providers, each of which makes its own judgments about applying the Standards in investment decisions.
We encourage licensees to build products based on company performance—not transparency alone.

What ESG indexes use SASB Standards?

The Bloomberg SASB ESG index family was launched in September 2019. The Bloomberg SASB ESG index family incorporates R-Factor™, an ESG scoring system developed by State Street Global Advisors. In generating a unique ESG score for listed companies, R-Factor™ leverages SASB standards—which are focused on the subset of ESG factors most likely to have material financial impacts on a company in a given industry—to screen performance data from multiple sources. This ensures R-Factor scores are driven by the ESG factors most important to investors.

There are a range of other indices powered by SASB Standards in various stages of planning and development. One other example in the market today is ET Research’s Engaged Tracking Low Carbon Index Series, the only low-carbon index series on the market that is based on a public, transparent carbon ranking of each constituent company.

Does the IFRS Foundation have a role in scoring companies?

No. Third-party providers license SASB Standards for use in scoring. As an example, the Bloomberg SASB ESG index family incorporates R-Factor™, an ESG scoring system developed by State Street Global Advisors. In generating a unique ESG score for listed companies, R-Factor™ leverages SASB Standards—which are focused on the subset of ESG factors most likely to have material financial impacts on a company in a given industry—to screen performance data from multiple sources. This ensures R-Factor scores are driven by the ESG factors most important to investors.