Data Management Insight Brief
S&P and UN Creates Biodiversity Risk Framework for Investors
A nature-related risk assessment methodology has been devised by S&P Global’s Sustainable1 unit and the United Nations’ Environment Programme. The framework, which is aligned with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, will enable investors and companies to assess the biodiversity risks to which businesses are exposed and the impacts they are having on surrounding flora, fauna and natural resources.
Solactive Acquires Minerva Analytics
British ESG research, proxy voting and stewardship services provider Minerva Analytics has been bought by indexing firm Solactive. The deal will enable the combined company to offer better ESG indices and benchmarks as well as improved engagement capabilities with portfolio companies, for its 500-plus clients.
IAASB Sets Out Plan for ESG Assurance Standards
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has put to consultation proposals to standardise the verification of sustainability disclosures. The New York-based global overseer of auditing has invited comments to its website by April.
Danish Pensions Firm Forca Selects Gresham Technologies to Realise Client Service Benefits
Forca, a Danish pensions services provider, has selected Gresham Technologies Control solution for holdings, cash, and transaction reconciliations. By automating all data validation, reconciliation, and regulatory reporting, the solution will allow Forca to tackle data control issues and focus on exception management and transaction reconciliation. With the implementation of the solution already underway, the pensions firm expects to realise client service benefits including efficient, logical, and intuitive end-to-end data ingestion to reconciliation.
Qlik Plans Acquisition of Talend
Qlik, a provider of data integration and analytics solutions for the financial services sector, plans to acquire Talend, provider of a unified platform dedicated to data integration, integrity, and governance. The deal would bring together two Thoma Bravo-backed firms to deliver a cloud independent portfolio of solutions designed to help customers address data integration, transformation, and governance challenges in the transition to cloud. The transaction is expected to close during the first half of 2023 following regulatory approvals.
Switzerland Proposes Green Labelling Rules
Switzerland has proposed new rules covering the labelling of sustainable financial products traded in the Alpine nation’s markets. The Swiss Federal Council said it will require issuers of the products to be able to justify the use of descriptive terms such as “green” and “ESG”. Among other requirements, the council proposes that issuers include disclosures on their products’ approach to sustainability and provide third-party verification of their credibility.
Thailand Proposes Green Taxonomy to Boost Sustainable Market
Thailand has published proposals for its own green taxonomy to help develop the Southeast Asian nation’s sustainability markets. The draft pilot, put out for consultation late last week, is largely based on the European Union’s taxonomy and will focus first on drawing up parameters for climate change mitigation measures.
Third of Companies Don’t Include Climate Change in Risk Analyses
Almost a third of companies do not take climate change into consideration when analysing risks to their business. An Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) report found that finance departments were among the least likely to regard ESG risks as material. Corporate climate risks and mitigation strategies are metrics that have become increasingly important to investors.
Quality and Access the Main ESG Data Concerns of US Listed firms: Deloitte
Data quality and completeness top the concerns of US listed companies as they beef up their ESG capabilities following the Securities and Exchange Commission’s announcement this year that it would require sustainability disclosures, a Deloitte survey has found. Quality was cited by 35 per cent of surveyed executives as their chief challenge, while 25 per cent said accessing quality data was their main obstacle.
Planet, Accenture Tie-Up to Offer Supply Chain, Climate Risk Insights
Environment-monitoring satellite imagery firm Planet has teamed with IT giant Accenture to provide industries, including financial services, with AI-powered geospatial data tools. The combination of Planet’s high-frequency imagery data captured by its fleet of about 200 satellites and Accenture’s analytics is hoped to provide clients with deep insights into supply-chain and climate risks.