Data type
ESG data providers
ESG data providers sell two different things, scores and source metrics; this page explains both, who buys them, and the regulation now in force.
Published
What is an ESG data provider?
An ESG data provider supplies information on companies' environmental, social and governance performance, either as raw metrics such as emissions and board composition, or as ratings and scores that combine those metrics using the provider's own methodology.
Ratings and raw data are different products
A rating is an opinion: a provider weighs dozens of metrics according to its methodology and outputs a letter or number. Raw ESG data is the input: reported emissions, water use, workforce figures, controversies, board independence.
Asset managers increasingly buy both and build their own views, partly because different providers' ratings of the same company often disagree. When you compare providers, first decide which one you need.
- Asset managers and pension funds: portfolio screening, reporting and fund labelling.
- Banks: lending policies and financed-emissions reporting.
- Corporates: benchmarking against peers and supplier assessment.
- Consultancies and index providers: building products on top.
Rules that now shape the market
| Rule | Key date | What it does | Meaning for a buyer or seller |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU ESG Ratings Regulation (2024/3005) | Applies from 2 July 2026 | ESG rating providers serving the EU must be authorised or registered with ESMA and disclose methodologies | Ratings bought for EU use should come from a provider in ESMA's process |
| Transition notifications | Existing providers notify by 2 August 2026; applications by 2 November 2026 | Providers that notified on time may keep operating until ESMA decides | Ask a provider for its ESMA status in writing |
| Small providers | Notification by 2 November 2026 | A three-year lighter regime, initially registration only | Niche raters can still sell, under lighter rules |
| US SEC climate disclosure rules | SEC voted on 27 March 2025 to stop defending them | Rules adopted in 2024 were stayed and never took effect | No federal mandate is creating a uniform US climate dataset |
The EU rule regulates ratings, not raw data, which is one reason some firms now separate the two in their contracts. If you license raw metrics and build your own scores, check whether that makes you a rating provider under the regulation.
Pricing
ESG data is sold by yearly subscription, usually priced by coverage universe, number of users and whether redistribution to clients is allowed.
The large providers don't publish prices and we found no procurement benchmark we could verify for a specific ESG product, so we don't give a range. Expect redistribution rights, for example showing scores in client reports, to be the costliest add-on.
Questions to ask a provider
- Which figures are company-reported, which are estimated, and how are estimates flagged?
- How often is the methodology changed, and are historic scores restated?
- How are controversies sourced, and how quickly are they reflected?
- What is your status under the EU ESG ratings regulation?
- May we redistribute scores or derived data to our clients?
Where independent data comes in
Much ESG data is estimated, because many companies, especially private ones, don't report. That creates demand for direct measurements: satellite emissions monitoring, supply-chain audits, energy meter data, or workforce surveys.
Where a broker fits
A broker can connect holders of that kind of evidence with ESG providers and investors. DataBroker is built for that role: a paid academy and set of tools for brokering datasets between companies. We aren't an ESG provider and don't sell ratings.
Sources
4 sources · checked Nov 7, 2026
The DataBroker team checked the facts on this page against 4 public sources, last on .
- ESG rating providers, European Securities and Markets AuthorityChecked
- Public statement on publication or distribution of ESG ratings by third parties from 2 July 2026, ESMAChecked
- ESG ratings and new EU supervision as of 2 July 2026, StibbeChecked
- SEC votes to end defense of climate disclosure rules, US Securities and Exchange CommissionChecked
ESG data providers FAQ
Why do ESG ratings from different providers disagree?
They measure different things and weight them differently. One may focus on risk to the company, another on the company's impact, and each estimates missing data its own way.
Do ESG data providers need a licence?
In the EU, ESG rating providers now need authorisation or registration with ESMA under the regulation that applied from July 2026. Raw data providers aren't covered by that rule.
Is ESG data still in demand in the US?
Demand continues from asset managers with global clients and from companies reporting under EU rules, even though the SEC stopped defending its climate disclosure rules in 2025.
Related
- Best business data providers
Best business data providers grouped by data type, with who buys each kind, how it is priced and which rules apply.
- Firmographic data providers
Firmographic data providers compared field by field, with the free government sources most of them start from and what paid licences add.
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