The ESG Scores API returns an envelope, carrying a single score object in result.
The response envelope
| Field name (key) | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| veridion_id | string | The company identifier from the request path. |
| status | string | The state of the request. One of complete, processing, or not_found. See Retrieve ESG scores for what each value means and how to respond to it. |
| active_processing_session | string | UUID of the session currently scoring this company. Present only while status is processing, and null in every other state. Pass it to ESG processing status. |
| last_computed_at | string | The UTC date and time when the score being returned was produced, as an ISO 8601 datetime. Where no score is being returned, it reports when the most recent completed run finished, however old that is. null only where no run has ever completed for this company. |
| result | JSON object | The score object. null where no score is available for this company. |
The score object
Returned as result. It has five sections: overall, industry, and one for each of the three pillars.
| Field name (key) | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| overall | JSON object | The company's overall ESG assessment. |
| overall.score | integer | A score between 0 and 100, with the best ESG performing company at 100 and the worst performing at 0. See How ESG Scores work for what each band represents. |
| overall.description | string | A qualitative summary of the company's ESG posture, highlighting major initiatives and themes across the Environmental, Social, and Governance pillars. |
| overall.justification | string | Rationale describing the evidence-based drivers used to assign the overall ESG score, including pillar level contributors and controversy impact where applicable. |
| industry | JSON object | How the company compares against its sector. |
| industry.average | integer | The average ESG score for companies in the same industry, used as a benchmark for comparison. |
| industry.average_justification | string | Rationale summarising the ESG expectations and risk profile typically associated with this industry, which underpin the industry average score. |
| industry.quartile | string | A categorical ranking indicating the company's ESG score relative to peers within its industry, divided into four quartiles. One of Top (25%), Second (25-50%), Third (50-75%), or Bottom (25%). |
| industry.quartile_justification | string | Rationale describing the key factors supporting the company's quartile placement within its industry benchmark. |
| environmental | JSON object, null | The Environmental pillar. null where no pillar breakdown is available for the company. |
| environmental.score | integer | A score reflecting the company's environmental performance, including climate change mitigation, resource use, and biodiversity impact. Never null when the pillar is present. |
| environmental.justification | string | Rationale explaining the key drivers behind the environmental score, such as verified initiatives, measurable outcomes, risk exposure, and any relevant controversies. |
| environmental.risks | JSON object | The 16 Environmental risk criteria, keyed by criterion name. Always present when the pillar is. See the risk object below. |
| social | JSON object, null | The Social pillar. null where no pillar breakdown is available for the company. |
| social.score | integer | A score reflecting the company's social performance, including human rights, labour practices, and community engagement. Never null when the pillar is present. |
| social.justification | string | Rationale explaining the key drivers behind the social score, such as policies and programmes, track record, stakeholder impact, and any relevant controversies. |
| social.risks | JSON object | The 5 Social risk criteria, keyed by criterion name. Always present when the pillar is. |
| governance | JSON object, null | The Governance pillar. null where no pillar breakdown is available for the company. |
| governance.score | integer | A score reflecting the company's governance performance, including ethical business practices, transparency, and board oversight. Never null when the pillar is present. |
| governance.justification | string | Rationale explaining the key drivers behind the governance score, such as governance structures, controls and policies, disclosures, enforcement actions, and any relevant controversies. |
| governance.risks | JSON object | The 5 Governance risk criteria, keyed by criterion name. Always present when the pillar is. |
The three pillars arenulltogetherEither all three pillar objects are present, or all three are
null. They never appear in a mixed state, so testing any one of them tells you which shape you have.Where the pillars are
null, the score object still carriesoverallandindustryin full.
The risk object
Each of the 26 risk criteria is returned as an object under its pillar's risks, keyed by the criterion name. Where a pillar is present, every criterion belonging to it is present.
| Field name (key) | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| score | integer, null | A score between 0 and 100 assessing the company's impact on this specific risk. null where the criterion could not be scored for the company. |
| justification | string | Rationale explaining the main factors behind the score. Where score is null, it explains why the criterion could not be scored. Never null when a risk object is present. |
A null score is not a zeroA
nullscore means the criterion is not applicable or not assessable, not that the company performs badly on it. Treatingnullas0in an aggregate will penalise companies for risks they cannot be exposed to.
Risk criterion keys
The keys are stable and can be relied on.
| Pillar | Keys |
|---|---|
| Environmental | atmospheric_contamination, carbon_footprint, transitional_threats, mining_techniques, illegal_deforestation, land_contamination, water_contamination, water_usage, effects_on_protected_regions, effects_on_endangered_species, unsustainable_energy_practices, unlawful_fishing, plastic_contamination, illegal_wildlife_trade, habitat_quality_and_medication_use, testing_on_animals |
| Social | child_exploitation_and_human_trafficking, involuntary_displacement, worker_rights, misbehavior_by_security_staff, sensitive_weapons_involvement |
| Governance | corrupt_and_unethical_transactions, monopoly_practices, immoral_behavior_or_adverse_health_influence_on_consumers, inclusivity, wage_disparity |
See ESG risk taxonomy for the pillar, theme, and risk criterion each key corresponds to.