ICE Releases Data Solution for EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has released a data service designed to help clients comply with the Principal Adverse Impacts (PAIs) element of the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). The ICE SFDR PAI solution offers users event-triggered updates for all the mandatory adverse sustainability indicators applicable to investments in companies, sovereigns and supranationals.

The EU’s PAI regime requires specifically formatted disclosure on ESG-related indicators, including greenhouse gas emissions, board gender diversity, and energy consumption ratios, all of which are available in a conveniently formatted file or web viewing tool to clients as part of the ICE solution. The service also allows customers to link equity and fixed income securities to the closest disclosing corporate entity, offering a way to quickly match a security to the nearest parent entity with disclosed data.

EU Moves Closer to Creation of Green Bonds

The European Union took a step closer to enabling the creation of verified green bonds when council members approved a list of requirements that issuers must satisfy to be granted EU Green Bond (EuGB) status. The council said its members had agreed that a registration system and supervisory framework for external reviewers should be created. The EU had proposed the creation of EuGBs in July, one of many aspects of the 27-nation bloc’s measures to draw private finance to achieving its sustainability goals.

Xignite Builds Broker, Wealth Manager ESG API into ESG Book

Market data distribution provider Xignite has built an API to funnel ESG information to brokers and wealth managers connected to the Arabesque-managed ESG Book. California-based Xignite’s ESG API is also hoped to accelerate the creation of ESG-based financial products, it said. “If you do not offer ESG data and portfolio analytics to your clients today, you will run into growth and retention challenges,” said Xignite Chief Executive Stéphane Duboi.

ESG Forward to Feed Data Information to Sustainability-Focused Clients

A sustainability-focused content and education platform has been created to help financial advisers satisfy their clients’ demands for impact investment products. ESG Forward will feed data, blog posts, infographics and other information to advisers. The service was created by Boston-based communication and marketing firm Longview Strategies.

EIU Unveils ESG Ratings Coverage of 150 Countries

The Economist Intelligence Unit has launched its own ESG Rating Service for investors and consumers, offering scores on 150 countries based on 90 sustainability indicators. The service gives country-level historic rankings back to 2015 and lays out quarterly analyses of key trends. The London-based information provider said the comparability of the ratings would help clients in their decision-making processes.

Impact Cubed Unveils Fund ESG Assessment Tools

ESG data and investment aid provider Impact Cubed is now offering clients tools to measure and assess the impact of their fund holdings. The new addition to its automated platform also enables financial institutions to report their investments’ ESG performance to regulators. Additionally, pension funds, wealth managers and family offices will be able to keep tabs on the ESG performance of external managers. The London-based company further says the tools will help financial institutions to avoid greenwashing.

Many Firms Are Not Data-Ready for SFDR Level 2

Many financial institutions have yet to grasp the data implications of the European Union’s ESG reporting regulations, while others are scrambling to put in place processes to comply with the developing set of disclosure rules. Read the full story on ESG Insight here.

Deutsche Börse Acquires Kneip Fund Data Manager

Deutsche Börse is close to acquiring 100% of Luxembourg-based fund data manager Kneip, expanding its offering in the asset management service space. Established in 1993, Kneip manages investor disclosure and data publication for more than 10,000 funds in over 40 countries, servicing over 30% of EU-based fund ISINS. Kneip will be integrated with the German exchange group’s established fund service platforms with the aim of creating a leading fund data service hub in Luxembourg. The transaction is expected to close this month.

New ISO Standard Extends Use of LEI-Based Digital Identity Tools

A recently published ISO standard, ISO 5009, has the potential to extend the utility and value of Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) based digital identity tools by facilitating the inclusion of ‘official organisational role’ detail within them in a consistent manner. ISO 5009 paves the way for these tools – such as verifiable LEI (vLEI) credentials and digital certificates with embedded LEIs – to become a universally trusted method of digitally confirming the authenticity of people authorised to act on behalf of an organisation.

Published in February 2022, ISO 5009 permits global uniformity of the listing of official organisational roles by jurisdiction in a structured way. This means that roles of persons acting officially on behalf of an organisation may be specified by a legal entity and incorporated into existing and future digital assets leveraging the LEI.

Stephan Wolf, CEO at GLEIF comments: “In business and regulatory exchanges, it is important to confirm the official roles of people acting on behalf of organisations. In a digital context this can be challenging yet uncompromisingly necessary as we move towards creating and sustaining a digital global economy. For this reason, GLEIF has been committed to the realisation of this ISO standard as it is a significant step forward towards addressing that challenge.”

TNFD Publishes Draft Framework for Risk Management, Disclosure

The first beta version of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures’ (TNFD) framework for risk management and reporting has been unveiled for consultation. The taskforce, an alliance that counts executives from Bank of America, BlackRock and Néstlé among its members, is dedicated to guiding corporates and financial institutions on making better decisions on activities that have an impact on the natural world. Over the next 18 months stakeholders and market participants will refine and develop the proposed framework.