Methodology

Overview

The SDG Corporate Tracker is a platform that assesses how private companies contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As part of the SDG Resource Center—a one-stop knowledge hub jointly developed by UNDP, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Thai Listed Companies Association (TLCA)—the SDG Corporate Tracker provides valuable insights into corporate sustainability efforts.

The SDG Corporate Tracker evaluates Thai listed companies based on their public reports about sustainability efforts. In 2023, the Tracker assessed 518 companies across eight industries, following 545 companies in 2022 and 495 in 2021. Leveraging Machine Learning technology , the SDG Corporate Tracker analyzed data from 1,000 company reports from various sources, offering a comprehensive overview of private sector contributions to sustainable development.

Data Collection

The SDG Corporate Tracker selects listed companies that publish reports detailing their sustainability activities. It gathers data from three main types of reports:

  • Sustainability Reports : These describe a company's efforts in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) areas.
  • Structured Data Reports : These display company information in a tabular format, allowing human, data analytic tools, and machine learning easily extract and process data.
  • Form 56-1 One Reports : These cover both financial statements and sustainability progress of Thai listed companies.

Metrics Selection

The SDG Corporate Tracker extracts specific measurements, called “metrics”, from these reports to assess progress toward the SDGs. The metrics used include:

  • Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Metrics : Internationally recognized indicators for sustainability reporting, used for the Tracker in 2021 and 2022.
  • Annual Report Progress (ARP) Metrics : Custom indicators derived from Structured Data Reports and One Reports to track sustainability progress, used for the Tracker in 2021-2023.

Each metric is linked to relevant SDGs to show how companies are contributing.

AI-Based Metrics Extraction

The SDG Corporate Tracker uses an AI model based on Large Language Models (LLMs) to process reports efficiently. The process begins with ingestion, where reports are uploaded and converted into searchable text. Then, the LLMs-based AI performs metrics extraction, identifying and extracting relevant data based on predefined prompts. To ensure consistency, unit standardization converts measurements into a common format (e.g., kWh to GJ for energy use). Finally, metadata extraction captures key details such as company name, report year, and industry.

Quality Control

To maintain accuracy, the SDG Corporate Tracker follows a human-in-the-loop approach. Experts first created a ground truth dataset by manually verifying a sample of reports. Then, they compare LLMs-extracted data with this verified dataset to assess AI accuracy. If needed, human correction is applied to fix any errors before publishing the final results.

Dashboard & Reporting

The processed data is presented on an interactive dashboard. Users can explore company contributions to the SDGs, compare industry-wide performance, and track year-over-year progress on sustainability metrics. This makes it easy for businesses, policymakers, and researchers to analyze corporate sustainability efforts.

FAQ

General Questions

Why was the SDG Corporate Tracker developed?
The SDG Corporate Tracker was developed to enhance transparency and accountability by measuring corporate contributions to the SDGs. It helps businesses, policymakers, and researchers understand industry-wide progress on sustainability.
Who can use the SDG Corporate Tracker?
The SDG Corporate Tracker is useful for a wide range of stakeholders, including:
1. Businesses – To benchmark sustainability performance.
2. Policymakers – To monitor private sector progress on SDGs.
3. Investors – To assess ESG risks and opportunities.
4. Researchers & Academics – To analyze corporate sustainability trends.

Data & Methodology

How are companies selected for assessment?
Currently, the selected companies are publicly listed on the Thai stock market and have the capacity to publish sustainability reports and other relevant disclosures. In the future, the scope of this assessment may expand to include a broader range of companies.
What types of reports are analyzed?
The SDG Corporate Tracker collects data from three main types of reports:
Sustainability Reports – Cover environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts.
Structured Data Reports – Present sustainability information in tabular formats for easy extraction.
Form 56-1 One Reports – Combine financial and sustainability reporting into a single document.
What metrics are used to measure corporate contributions to the SDGs?
The SDG Corporate Tracker uses two main types of metrics, including Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Metrics and Annual Report Progress (ARP) Metrics. 25 metrics from GRI and ARP were selected to be the most relevant to the SDGs.
1. number of female directors
2. number of male directors
3. total number of directors
4. amount of electricity purchased
5. average training hours of employees
6. employee development and training expenses
7. employee remuneration or salary
8. fuel oil
9. scope 1
10. scope 2
11. scope 3
12. greenhouse gas management total
13. r&d expenses this year
14. number of female employees
15. number of male employees
16. total number of employees
17. hazardous waste
18. non-hazardous waste
19. total waste
20. water consumption
21. percentage of female directors
22. percentage of male directors
23. total percentage of directors
24. percentage of employees who voluntarily resigned
25. number of employee work injuries leading to employee absence
How does Large Language Models (LLMs) extract data from reports?
The Large Language Models (LLMs) scans report, identifies key sustainability metrics, standardizes units, and maps them to SDGs for analysis.

Technical & Privacy

How does the SDG Corporate Tracker handle privacy and sensitive company data?
The SDG Corporate Tracker only uses publicly available information and follows strict data privacy and security guidelines.
How does the SDG Corporate Tracker ensure data accuracy?
The platform uses Large Language Models for data extraction, followed by human review to ensure 100% accuracy before publishing results.

Using the Platform

How can I search for data on the SDG Corporate Tracker?
You can use the dashboard to filter results by industry, or SDGs, and compare sustainability progress across different sectors.
Is the SDG Corporate Tracker free to use?
Yes, the platform is free and open to the public to encourage transparency and accountability in corporate sustainability efforts.
Can companies submit their reports directly to the Tracker?
The SDG Corporate Tracker currently gathers publicly available reports from listed companies on the Thai stock market. Companies that have submitted a One-Report to the SEC are automatically included in the assessment. In the future, however, the scope of companies included in this assessment is expected to expand.
Can companies update their data in the Tracker?
Currently, data is collected from publicly available corporate reports. If a company wants to update or provide additional information, they can contact the Tracker’s support team.