World Economic Forum - Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics

Voluntary ESG metrics for stakeholder-oriented value creation, aligned with SDGs.
Status: 150+ global companies reporting, 21 core and 34 expanded metrics[1][5][8].

Companies Reporting

150+

Multinational corporations, all sectors (2025)[5]

Metrics

21 + 34

21 core, 34 expanded metrics[1][5][8]

Pillars

Governance, Planet, People, Prosperity[1][5][8]

SDG Alignment

Yes

Mapped to UN Sustainable Development Goals[1][5]

Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics: Four Pillars

Pillar	Key Focus	Sample Metrics
Principles of Governance	Purpose, strategy, ethics, risk management	Purpose-led strategy, board composition, anti-corruption, risk oversight
Planet	Environmental responsibility	GHG emissions, water use, biodiversity, land use, TCFD-aligned climate risk[1][5][8]
People	Diversity, inclusion, human rights, labor	Workforce diversity, pay equality, health & safety, training hours[1][5][8]
Prosperity	Economic contribution, innovation, well-being	Net value generated, taxes paid, R&D investment, social value[1][5][8]

Metrics Structure and SDG Mapping

Type	Description	SDG Link
Core Metrics	Universally recognized, basic ESG indicators, easy to implement	Directly mapped to key SDGs[1][5][8]
Expanded Metrics	Advanced, more granular disclosures, long-term value focus	Comprehensive SDG coverage[1][5][8]

Stakeholder Metrics: Company Adoption by Region (2025, est.)

Number of companies reporting against Stakeholder Metrics by region (2025, est.)[5].

WEF Metrics: Integration and Influence

Alignment: Draws from GRI, SASB, TCFD, CDP, UNGC; interoperable with ISSB, EFRAG[1][5][8][9][10]
SDG mapping: Each metric linked to relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals[1][5][8]
Voluntary: Not regulatory, but adopted by >150 multinationals for mainstream reporting[5][8]
Comparability: Standardized metrics enable benchmarking across sectors and regions[1][5][8]
Onboarding ramp: Used as a preparatory step for ISSB and regulated disclosure[5][8]

About the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics

The World Economic Forum’s Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics provide a voluntary, standardized set of ESG indicators for companies to report on governance, planet, people, and prosperity[1][5][8]. Aligned with the SDGs and major reporting frameworks, the metrics are adopted by 150+ global companies as a pragmatic, comparable approach to stakeholder-oriented value creation and sustainability disclosure[5][8][9][10]. The Metrics are increasingly used as a bridge to ISSB and other global standards.

Note: All data reflects official WEF and industry updates as of May 2025.

World Economic Forum - Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics

World Economic Forum - Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics

Countries: Global (adopted by multinational corporations)
Function: Offers ESG metrics aligned with SDGs to promote stakeholder-oriented value creation

The World Economic Forum (WEF) introduced the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics initiative in 2020 as part of its broader effort to advance the concept of stakeholder capitalism, an economic model in which companies are accountable not only to shareholders but also to employees, customers, communities, and the environment. Developed in collaboration with the "Big Four" accounting firms (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC), the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics offer a standardized set of ESG indicators designed to align corporate disclosures with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and facilitate more consistent, comparable sustainability reporting across industries and regions.

The Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics are structured into four thematic pillars:

Principles of governance: Metrics that assess company purpose, strategy, ethical behavior, risk management, and governance structures.
Planet: Metrics addressing environmental responsibility, including greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, biodiversity impact, and land use.
People: Metrics focusing on diversity and inclusion, wage levels, human rights protections, health and safety, and labor practices.
Prosperity: Metrics that evaluate contributions to economic development, innovation, taxation practices, wealth generation, and societal well-being.

The framework organizes the metrics into two categories:

Core metrics: Universally recognized, relatively straightforward indicators that companies are encouraged to begin disclosing immediately.
Expanded metrics: More advanced, complex disclosures that require deeper data collection and analysis but offer greater insight into long-term value creation and systemic impact.

By design, the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics are voluntary. However, they have been endorsed by over 100 leading multinational corporations that have committed to reporting against these standards, including companies such as Unilever, Salesforce, Nestlé, and Bank of America.

Key characteristics of the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics include:

Alignment with existing frameworks: The metrics draw from and align with established reporting standards and initiatives, including GRI, SASB, TCFD, CDP, and the UN Global Compact, minimizing duplication and facilitating integration into existing corporate reporting processes.
SDG mapping: Each metric is explicitly linked to relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals, helping companies demonstrate their contributions to global sustainability objectives.
Comparability and transparency: The standardized nature of the metrics allows investors, regulators, and other stakeholders to compare ESG performance across companies and sectors with greater consistency.
Stakeholder-oriented value creation: The framework emphasizes that long-term financial performance is inseparable from responsible environmental stewardship, human capital development, community engagement, and ethical governance.

While the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics are not a regulatory mandate, they play a significant role in shaping corporate sustainability disclosure practices, particularly by offering a clear and pragmatic entry point for companies seeking to enhance ESG reporting in line with global expectations. They also complement efforts toward broader disclosure harmonization led by bodies such as the ISSB and the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG).

The World Economic Forum continues to promote the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics as a means to operationalize stakeholder capitalism principles, embed sustainability into corporate purpose, and enhance the role of business in advancing inclusive and sustainable economic growth.