ESG funds that invest in regimes linked to conflict are at of risk compromising sustainability standards and promises to clients, according to sustainable investment professionals. However, data shows European and UK sustainable funds hold almost £5bn in defence and aerospace companies. As conflicts rage on in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Pacific Asset Management’s … Read more
London-based TwentyFour Asset Management, a fixed income boutique affiliated with Vontobel, has upgraded one of its funds to Article 9 under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). The Luxembourg SICAV fund – Vontobel Fund – TwentyFour Sustainable Short Term Bond Income – will transition from Article 8 to Article 9 effective from 26 January … Read more
Morgan Stanley Investment Management has launched three actively-managed Article 8 funds. The new strategies – MS INVF Calvert Global Equity Fund, the MS INVF Calvert Global High Yield Bond Fund and the MS INVF Calvert US Equity Fund – all consider ESG factors as part of their investment processes. The strategies will be run by … Read more
In this series, ESG Clarity takes a deep dive into an investment firm’s stewardship activities, discovering their key focuses and processes, and what’s in their engagement toolkit. Here, Bruce Duguid, head of stewardship at Federated Hermes, shares how clients have contributed to the evolution of the firm’s engagement plan and why they are embracing the opportunities within artificial … Read more
In this episode of the ESG Clarity podcast, ESG Out Loud, reporter Holly Downes talks to Eleanor Harry, chief executive of HACE, about their AI-powered Child Labour Index. Today, there are 160 million children in child labour globally between the ages of five and 17, of which 78 million are working in hazardous conditions. With … Read more
A certificate in impact investing has been launched by CFA UK, designed to support investment professionals seeking a comprehensive introduction to the fast-growing field. The qualification has been structured to ensure candidates develop a clear understanding of the shape and size of the impact investment market, as well as gain the skills needed to implement … Read more
Changes to the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) corporate governance code have been welcomed by industry professionals, with particular praise reserved for “the greater emphasis on the need for companies to embed a positive ‘ethical’ culture”. Following the FRC’s largest stakeholder consultation on the Code in 2023, revisions have been kept to a minimum, with those … Read more
Science-based targets for nature “provide value in the form of risk mitigation” as well as “improved reputation and competitive advantage”, according to pilot companies ahead of the Science-based Targets Network (SBTN) concluding the test in May. Another pilot company commented it was “an enormous step forward” toward a standardisation of how nature is integrated into … Read more
Legal action could prompt banks to strengthen climate action or face reputational risk, according to Morningstar DBRS. This comes in the wake of Milieudefensie, the Dutch branch of climate-oriented NGO Friends of the Earth, announcing plans to take Dutch banking group ING to court over its funding of fossil fuel developments. Milieudefensie’s case argues that … Read more
Of the 2,000 global companies identified as having the greatest potential to transform systems and influence progress toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), less than a third have verified emissions reduction targets, according to a report. The companies, known as the SDG2000, are identified by the World Benchmarking Alliance at the start of every … Read more