Lazard Asset Management has appointed Impax’s Evie Paterson as portfolio manager and analyst, to work on the Lazard Global Sustainable Equity strategy. Paterson began her career at Abrdn as a graduate business analyst and then a responsible investing analyst, where she stayed for over three years. She then moved to Impax, where she spent the … Read more
In this new 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, Andrew Mason, head of active ownership at abrdn, shares how the team will be engaging on biodiversity and climate, and how they will closely track progress. … Read more
S&P Dow Jones has added to its range of sustainability-focused indexes with the launch of two more linked to the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). The S&P 500 SDG Index and the S&P Global LargeMidCap SDG Index provide diverse exposures to companies that are collectively more aligned with the United Nations’ 17 SDGs. They use … Read more
Allegations of forced labour were found in the supply chains of 46% of companies benchmarked by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre project KnowTheChain. According to KnowTheChain Apparel & Footwear Benchmark for 2022/3, which looked at 65 of the world’s largest apparel and footwear companies, the average score for protecting workers in the supply chain against … Read more
The Green Finance Institute (GFI) has published a toolkit designed to equip the UK farming community with an understanding of nature markets to help them assess whether they could provide a suitable new income stream for their business. Commissioned by DEFRA, the Farming Toolkit for Assessing Opportunities in Nature Markets is a free, independent resource … Read more
Support among asset managers for resolutions aimed at addressing environmental and social issues has crashed to a level not seen before in ShareAction’s fifth annual Voting Matters report, with only 3% of assessed resolutions passed in 2023. Of the environmental resolutions assessed, just 3% were passed last year compared to 32% in 2021, with asset … Read more
Over 50 asset managers now offer strategies categorised as ‘natural capital’, encompassing investments across agriculture, timberland, and ‘natural climate solutions’, according to a report by Bfinance. The strategies have developed in a response to growing desire as searches for ‘natural capital’ manager surpassed searches for real estate managers for Bfinance for the first year. The … Read more
Flexstone Partners, an affiliated investment manager of Natixis Investment Managers managing more than $10bn in assets, has appointed Samira Boussem as managing director and head of sustainability. Based in France, Boussem is tasked with leading Flexstone’s sustainability strategy and responsible investment approach, which will be implemented across the firm’s various bespoke investment solutions offered to … Read more
Apex ESG and MJ Hudson have merged to form Holtara; a partnership aiming to bring a level of robustness to ESG data and reporting to help clients set meaningful targets and identify improvement pathways. As a subsidiary to Apex Group, the Holtara team said they wish to move “beyond the ESG ‘tick-box approach’ and help … Read more
In this Green Dream video interview, Henrietta Pacquement, head of the global fixed income team and head of sustainability at Allspring Global Investments, answers questions on criteria for impact bonds and challenges and opportunities for fixed income in the year ahead. Watch the full video interview above and read the transcript below. NK: Hello, I’m Natalie Kenway. Welcome … Read more