Private companies might be tempted to believe that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting is less relevant to them than it is to public companies. After all, much of the discussions on ESG have been about proposed climate disclosure regulations impacting public companies.

But as it turns out, ESG reporting is relevant to private companies, too. Sustainability concerns may be top of mind for a range of private company stakeholders, including investors, customers, suppliers, and the communities in which these companies operate. Many stakeholders have pressured regulators to act, and regulators have responded with a variety of proposed and finalized reporting requirements, some of which impose requirements on private companies.