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Including ESG considerations into an investment approach often leads to portfolios that have a growth bias. But with investors shunning the growth style and favouring more value-oriented investments in 2022, sustainable investors had to stomach a substantial loss. As an indication of this, the MSCI World Index lost 7.83% (in GBP), the MSCI World Growth … Read more
The term ‘engagement’ seems to be an inescapable part of fund managers’ dialogue these days. But what does it actually mean when they say they actively engage with companies on ESG and why is this important? ESG engagement at a basic level refers to the collaboration between stakeholders (in this case, fund managers) and companies … Read more
Last month, representatives of the European Parliament, Commission, and Council, published the agreement on the EU Green Bonds Standard (EU-GBS). There were several articles covering the issue of impact and asset allocation reporting for issuers and companies willing to align to the EU-GBS. The key features of those provisions include: 1) Allocation reports become mandatory, … Read more
Climate change is one of the clearest and most present risks that Asia has faced, as the increased number of extreme weather events such as storms, typhoons and hotter days are threatening archipelagos and low lying regions in the area, according to abrdn’s senior investment director David Smith. Yet at the same time, Smith said … Read more
A group of environmental organisations has criticised sustainability firm Ceres for – they say – allowing oil and gas companies to hijack the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) movement. At the centre of the row is a paper produced by US non-profit Ceres, aimed at explaining actions that oil and gas exploration and … Read more
Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India and China have all become less transparent since the pandemic, according to a new report. China continues to be the least transparent major sourcing market. Just 38% of all audits undertaken in the second half of 2022 were an accurate representation of factory conditions. In India, just over half of all … Read more
The debate around ESG investing in the US has evolved from a debate around fiduciary duty and maximising return, to Wall Street versus Main Street, American Century Investments’ head of sustainable investing Sarah Bratton-Hughes has said. In a visit to ESG Clarity’s London studio for this Green Dream video interview, New York-based Bratton-Hughes dispelled some myths … Read more
Mediolanum International Funds has launched an Article 9 fund investing in sustainable nutrition companies that will benefit from growth in this area in the next 10 to 30 years. Mediolanum Best Brands Future Sustainable Nutrition is an actively managed multi-manager equity fund. Its aim is to generate long-term capital growth investing in companies that will … Read more
Asset managers are wary about putting pressure on the companies they invest in to meet new rules to report on Scope 3 emissions, even as research suggests most firms are unprepared for the rules and could risk fines, amid limited support among asset managers for the changes. The European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) this … Read more
Given the growing costs of climate change, it is more important than ever for shareholders to support climate resolutions this AGM season. Shareholders play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related risks. As part of the investment process, shareholders frequently engage with portfolio companies seeking to improve corporate climate readiness and reduce … Read more