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160 global financial institutions and two industry stakeholders have signed a statement calling on governments to negotiate an “ambitious treaty” to end plastic pollution ahead of negotiations taking place at the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-4) next week. Signatories representing $15.5trn in combined assets – including AXA Investment Managers, … Read more

Last year, research by ShareAction revealed just a quarter of the world’s 77 largest asset managers had made commitments on tackling deforestation. This alarming statistic speaks to the lack of urgency around tackling deforestation, with investors contributing to climate change and significant biodiversity loss. Investors, therefore, must commit to further action to progress towards deforestation-free targets, urged Dr. Carter … Read more

The complexities of sustainable finance advice have been reported far and wide but concerns are rising around how social media platforms, such as TikTok, are misinforming younger generations – and investment professionals are being urged to step in. Last year, a 1,000-person survey conducted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found 44% of ‘Gen Z’ – those … Read more

Nordea Asset Management has folded its Nordea 1 – Global Social Bond fund due to “the size of the AUM and muted demand for the single-themed strategy.” Launched in December 2022, the Article 9 strategy was designed to “address the ‘S’ in ESG”, investing 70% of total assets in social bonds focused on sustainability objectives … Read more

There is alpha to be found in investing in the companies which act as the “picks and shovels” to sustainability. This is according to Sujaya Desai, a portfolio manager at Stewart Investors, who said that companies behind the scenes of sustainability themes often exhibit quality growth characteristics. “One of the phrases we use to describe … Read more

Robeco has renamed its multi-asset funds to increase flexibility and to better emphasise the products’ heightened focus on sustainability. The Multi-Asset Income fund is now the Sustainable Income Allocation fund; the Multi-Asset Sustainable fund is now the Sustainable Diversified Allocation fund; and the Multi-Asset Growth fund is now the Sustainable Dynamic Allocation fund. The three funds – recently assigned … Read more

More listed companies are setting science-based targets, and emissions disclosures are growing, but companies’ decarbonisation trajectories still place them on a path to warm the planet by 3 degrees celsius, the latest MSCI Net-Zero Tracker report has revealed. In the April review of the progress of publicly listed companies in the MSCI ACWI index, which … Read more

Investors in Asia should prioritise assessing physical risk, and adjusting fossil fuel and deforestation policies in order to mitigate climate risk, a report by the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC) has found. Although Asia’s investors are making progress on climate targets, challenges remain in reaching 1.5 degrees climate goals, the report State of Net Zero … Read more

As the world moves towards a low carbon economy, demand for so-called transition minerals is rapidly rising. Electric vehicles, batteries, solar photovoltaic systems, wind turbines and hydrogen technologies all require specific metals like lithium, cobalt and nickel. And they need a lot of them. For example, a basic electric car requires six times more minerals … Read more

Increased demand for green bonds has spurred the standardisation and review process of the asset class, according to some investment specialists. However, investors are urged to proceed with caution given higher prices or ‘greenmiums’, alongside a lack of control as to how the money is ultimately spent by the issuers. Martin Foden, head of sterling … Read more