Sustainability ratings for legal entities with data inspection

1. A computer for implementing a rating system, the computer having access to a database populated with data concerning at least one non-economic factor for a company, the computer comprising:

means for enabling a user to input at least one weighting;

means for transparently displaying at least a formula, the at least one weighting, and a portion of the data that generates a sustainability score, the formula being displayed in a manner that demonstrates how the sustainability score is computed;

means for associating each user-input weighting with a respective non-economic factor

a page viewable by a user and configured to display a layout and wording of questions used to elicit the data, a link to a source of the data, a manner in which the data was provided, a time during which the data was provided; and

a processor configured to compute the sustainability score using the formula, the formula mathematically applying each associated user-input weighting to the respective non-economic factor,

wherein the displaying means outputs the sustainability score, the sustainability score defining a rating of the company incorporating the at least one non-economic factor, and, in response to a user interaction, the processor is configured to cause the display, by the display means, of at least a portion of the data used by the formula;

wherein at least one of the questions originated from an inquiry identified as having arisen from a public comment; and

wherein the system is configured, in scenarios where the data is deficient, to examine a rule base to determine (a) a default response to at least one of the questions and (b) how the default response is combined into the sustainability score.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sustainability score comprises at least a composite of each associated user-input weighting to the respective non-economic factor as a result of the application of the formula, and wherein each respective non-economic factor comprises weighted individual ratings.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the individual ratings of each respective non-economic factor includes data having disparate units of measurement, the system further comprising a scoring means for producing a common scale among the data having disparate units of measurement.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the scoring means is further configured to determine a Z-score of the data to be scored and the scoring is performed using the Z-score.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the formula is displayed in a manner that enables an evaluation of at least one of an objectivity and a reliability of the sustainability score.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user is selectively allowed to modify at least one of the formula, the portion of the data, and the at least one weighting in accordance with a level of authority.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sustainability score comprises a transparency measurement, the transparency measurement being computed by comparing available information to unavailable information.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sustainability score comprises an exposure measurement that reflects one or more outliers within the data that pose a problem.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sustainability score comprises a momentum measurement that reflects performance of the company over time.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user is selectively allowed to configure the system to deviate from the formula.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the default response is at least one of affirmative and negative.

12. A computer for implementing a rating system, the computer having access to a database populated with data concerning at least one non-economic factor for a company, the computer comprising:

an interface configured to enable input of at least one weighting, to transparently display at least a formula, the at least one weighting, and a portion of the data in a manner that demonstrates how a sustainability score is computed, to associate each user-input weighting with a respective non-economic factor; and

a page viewable by a user and configured to display a layout and wording of questions used to elicit the data, a link to a source of the data, a manner in which the data was provided, a time during which the data was provided;

a processor configured to compute the sustainability score using the formula in conjunction with any user-input weighting and the data,

wherein the interface is further capable of outputting the sustainability score, the sustainability score defining a rating of the company incorporating the at least one non-economic factor;

wherein at least one of the questions originated from an inquiry identified as having arisen from a public comment; and

wherein the system is configured, in scenarios where the data is deficient, to examine a rule base to determine (a) a default response to at least one of the questions and (b) how the default response is combined into the sustainability score.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the sustainability score comprises at least a composite of each associated user-input weighting to the respective non-economic factor as a result of the application of the formula, and wherein each respective non-economic factor comprises weighted individual ratings.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the individual ratings of each respective non-economic factor includes data having disparate units of measurement, and the processor is further configured to produce a common scale among the data having disparate units of measurement.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a Z-score of the data to be scored, and the scoring step is performed using the Z-score.

16. In a computer-implemented rating system having access to a database populated with data concerning at least one non-economic factor for a company, a method for rating the company comprising:

providing an interface for displaying at least a portion of the data;

receiving from a user at least one weighting through the interface;

associating each said weighting with a respective data concerning the at least one non-economic factor;

computing a single sustainability score with a processor using a formula that applies at least one non-zero weighting to the one non-economic factor;

outputting the sustainability score through the interface;

transparently displaying in the interface at least the formula, the at least one weighting, a layout and wording of questions used to elicit the data, a link to a source of the data, a manner in which the data was provided, a time during which the data was provided, and the portion of the data in a manner that demonstrates how the sustainability score is computed;

examining a rule base to determine (a) a default response to at least one of the questions and (b) how the default response is combined into the sustainability score and

providing, in response to a user interaction with the displayed data, further data concerning the portion of the data;

wherein at least one of the questions originated from an inquiry identified as having arisen from a public comment.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the single sustainability score comprises a composite of a plurality of non-economic factors, and wherein each associated user-received weighting weights the respective data concerning the respective non-economic factor, the method further comprising:

computing the non-economic factor using the user-received weightings.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the respective data concerning the respective non-economic factor have disparate units of measurement, the method further comprising scoring the non-economic factor so as to produce a common scale among the data having disparate units of measurement.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising, prior to scoring the data, determining a Z-score of the data to be scored, wherein the scoring step is performed using the Z-score.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the display of data in the interface includes information concerning the date the displayed data was collected.