The Managerial Aspect of Accounting ESG Factors in Assessing the Value of a Company

Abstract

The subject of the study is ESG factors (Environment, Social, Government) and their inclusion in the value of Russian companies. The purpose of the paper is to reveal the theoretical and methodological aspects of taking into account ESG factors when assessing the value of companies. The relevance of the study is determined by the influence of the ESG rating of companies on changes in their value. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the development of a general scheme, which includes four stages: substantiation of key external and internal factors influencing ESG-assessments of the company’s value; analysis of the nature of the impact of key factors on ESG assessments; assessment of the impact of the ESG-factor on the elements of value creation (forecast period, discount factor, cash flows, post-forecast growth rates); building a financial model for assessing the value of companies taking into account ESG factors. Methods: general scientific methods (comparative analysis, generalization, formalization) and empirical (observation, comparison, modeling). The DCF (discounted cash flow) approach was proposed as the main method for assessing the value of a company, which allows not only to estimate the value of a company over a specific period of time, but also acts as a cost management tool. An analysis of scientific and theoretical points of view and methodological approaches to assessing the influence of ESG factors on the value of companies was carried out, significant factors influencing the ESG assessment of the company’s value were identified, and a financial model for assessing the value of the company taking into account ESG factors was proposed. The model for assessing the impact of ESG on cash flow generation elements was tested using the example of PJSC Polymetal. It is concluded that the ESG assessment of a company’s value is influenced by both external factors (international regulation, country specifics, industry specifics) and internal ones (specifics of the capital structure, specifics of production). The developed financial model for assessing the value of a company makes it possible to take into account ESG factors in the output forms of reporting: balance sheet, profit and loss statement, cash flow statement. The proposed model is addressed to top managers of the company for the purpose of using it in the process of assessing the degree of influence of ESG factors on the cost of equity capital, potential investors and appraisers.