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FCA director of ESG Sacha Sadan (pictured) has defended the regulator’s proposed fund labelling scheme despite fears over the nuances of the ‘sustainable improvers’ category. During a panel discussion at Morningstar’s Investment Conference in London on Tuesday (4 July), Morningstar global director of sustainability research and ESG Clarity Committee member Hortense Bioy raised concerns over … Read more
The vital importance of nature and biodiversity in achieving climate aims means that regulatory frameworks worldwide are evolving swiftly to integrate the theme into investment practices. Brace yourselves, then, for September 2023, a milestone month that will spotlight nature and biodiversity considerations, driving investor awareness and action. Fidelity has noted ‘nature positive‘ could be the … Read more
The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) has nominated Mckinsey adviser Conor Kehoe to take over as chair next year. Pending signatory approval, Kehoe will succeed Martin Skancke when the latter’s term as PRI chair draws to a close at the end of the 2023 calendar year. Kehoe is senior adviser and former senior partner at … Read more
As investors we must understand the risks and opportunities posed by new technology, which, when used without proper governance, ethics, or attention to UNGP-aligned human rights, can cause real harm. I represented this perspective in person in Costa Rica at the RightsCon conference in June, speaking on panels about responsible business conduct in conflict-affected regions … Read more
Anti-ESG states are upping the ante against asset managers to curb the green investment movement this year, ESG Clarity has found. Nearly half of US states have already banned ESG as a factor in state investments, with some even restricting investment firms with ESG policies. But asset managers are pushing back. Anti-ESG takedown tactics Congress has … Read more
After years of seemingly unstoppable momentum behind ESG, the sustainable investment space witnessed heightened debate in 2022. This was largely driven by political posturing in the US, as the divide between anti-ESG ‘red states’ and pro-ESG ‘blue states’ widened. The uncertainty stemming from the anti-ESG camp is unlikely to abate over the coming year or … Read more
Institutional investors need to be driving capital flows towards emerging markets (EM) credit for the transition to net zero to be successful, according to the sustainability team at Ninety One. Nazmeera Moola, chief sustainability officer, and Annika Brouwer, sustainability specialist, spoke at a recent event about the lack of investments directed towards this asset class … Read more
Last month, the launch of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) S1 and S2 sustainability reporting standards was called a “landmark day for the global economy and the financial sector” first two IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards developed by the ISSB, and serve as a comprehensive global baseline of sustainability disclosures for the capital markets. The … Read more
In this series for ESG Clarity Asia, Morningstar dives into ESG funds available in Asia, analysing their investments, performance and ESG credentials. For this latest article, Morningstar’s Samuel Lo takes a look at the Abrdn Japanese Sustainable Equity Fund. Abrdn Japanese Sustainable Equity follows a quality-focused investment approach that has been time-tested and consistently executed over the years. The strategy’s Luxembourg-domiciled … Read more
ShareAction has issued a challenge to the financial sector to use its new definition of ‘responsible investment’ in a bid to raise standards, and help prevent greenwashing and misleading claims. The campaigning charity’s definition is: “Responsible investment is a transparent approach, embedded throughout the investment process, that takes the positive and negative impacts on people … Read more