China's Corporate Governance Development and ESG Evaluation

Abstract

As the past few decades have seen China become the world’s second-largest economy and Chinese multinationals take leading roles in various sectors, China’s corporate governance (CG) has evolved and brought about new methods of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) evaluation. This paper examines China’s CG development status through case studies of notable China companies, looks at current Chinese ESG evaluation systems designed by MSCI and local Chinese institutes, and suggests four unique factors that should be integrated into future Chinese ESG evaluation system development. This is the first of a series of papers by Lyndsey Zhang that reviews current Chinese CG development and ESG implementation, identifies opportunities and challenges through case studies, and suggests areas for improvement for Chinese companies looking to accomplish the following: become more sustainable by increasing focus on corporate purpose and ESG considerations, and position themselves as industrial leaders in both the emerging market and global economy in the next few decades. This series also looks at other emerging market countries’ economic development and CG models, and explores how China’ success can be replicated by other emerging market countries to facilitate their economic growth and CG development.