Mustafa Tevfik KartalSerpil Kilic DeprenUgur Korkut PataDilvin TaskinTuba SavliTaşkın, DilvinKılıç Depren, SerpilPata, Ugur KorkutŞavlı, TubaDepren, Serpil KilicKartal, Mustafa Tevfik2025-10-0620242199-473010.1186/s40854-024-00619-12-s2.0-85186232242http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40854-024-00619-1https://gcris.yasar.edu.tr/handle/123456789/7809https://doi.org/10.1186/s40854-024-00619-1This study constructs a proposed model to investigate the link between environmental social and governance (ESG) disclosures and ESG scores for publicly traded companies in the Borsa Istanbul Sustainability (XUSRD) index. In this context this study considers 66 companies examining recently structured ESG disclosures for 2022 that were published for the first time as novel data and applying a multilayer perceptron (MLP) artificial neural network algorithm. The relevant results are fourfold. (1) The MLP algorithm has explanatory power (i.e. R2) of 79% in estimating companies' ESG scores. (2) Common environment social and governance pillars have respective weights of 21.04% 44.87% 30.34% and 3.74% in total ESG scores. (3) The absolute and relative significance of each ESG reporting principle for companies' ESG scores varies. (4) According to absolute and relative significance the most effective ESG principle is the common principle followed by social and environmental principles whereas governance principles have less significance. Overall the results demonstrate that applying a linear approach to complete deficient ESG disclosures is inefficient for increasing companies' ESG scores, instead companies should focus on the ESG principles that have the highest relative significance. The findings of this study contribute to the literature by defining the most significant ESG principles for stimulating the ESG scores of companies in the XUSRD index.Englishinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessESG disclosures, ESG scores, New ESG reporting scheme, Artificial neural network, Borsa Istanbul Sustainability Index, Turkiye, C45, G34, G38, M48, O16ESG DISCLOSURES, TURKEY, IMPACTM48Artificial Neural NetworkBorsa Istanbul Sustainability IndexESG DisclosuresESG ScoresC45O16New ESG Reporting SchemeG34TürkiyeG38Article