Editor’s pick
Singapore Skills Boost Shines Light on Global Data Talent Gap
The Singaporean regulator’s pledge to spend SGD35 million (US$26m) to upskill and reskill financial industry professionals in sustainable finance has highlighted a global shortage of ESG talent. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said the cash will be spent over three years to support training initiatives that meet the expertise challenges of the novel investment...
Top Blogs
Investor Initiative Aims to Improve Corporate Human Rights Data
A plan to improve the human rights data available to financial institutions is close to inauguration, supported a multi trillion-dollar coalition of asset owners and managers. The Investor Initiative on Human Rights Data (II-HRD) is in the process of gathering an alliance of institutions to engage with data providers and proxy advisers to bring clarity...
Emissions Data Disclosures Jump, MSCI Report Says
More companies are reporting their greenhouse gas data – including Scope 3 emissions – to investors and regulators, according to a report that suggests yawning gaps in corporate ESG records may be closing. Scope 3 data, which tracks the emissions of businesses within corporate supply and distribution chains, is now reported fully or in part...
Colmore Integrates Dasseti Sustainability Tech into PE Data Portal
Post-investment services firm Colmore is the latest company to engage sustainability software provider Dasseti in private markets data processes. The unit of British alternative assets business Preqin coordinates data gathering and other services for limited partners (LPs) and allocators – which largely comprise financial institutional investors. It has integrated Dasseti Collect into its suite of...
Latest briefs
ZERO13 Collaborates with Industry Leaders to Launch First Digital Carbon Credit Platform for Renewable Energy
ZERO13, the GMEX Group company operating a carbon exchange, registry and aggregation hub ecosystem, has partnered with Decarb.earth, CarbonCX, and XTCC to introduce a digital platform for end-to-end digitally measured, reported and verified carbon credit distribution, trading, and settlement for renewable energy projects ZERO13 is a cloud-native, infrastructure-agnostic, decentralised platform that streamlines workflows across various…
Confluence Adds MSCI ESG Research Data into Style Analytics
Confluence Technologies, a solutions provider to the investment management industry, has integrated MSCI ESG Research data into its factor investing analytics solution, Style Analytics. The data will help asset managers and fund selectors by offering in-depth analysis, comparison, and enhancement of portfolios. Damian Handzy, managing director, analytics, at Confluence, comments: “Style Analytics’ integration of MSCI’s…
Bloomberg ESG Data Supports Hong Kong Greenhouse Gas Emissions Elimination Tool
Bloomberg ESG data is supporting development of the recently released greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions estimation tool of Hong Kong’s Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group (Steering Group) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). The tool is part of key initiatives to facilitate sustainability reporting by corporates and financial institutions in…
SEC Approves Watered-Down Climate Reporting Rules
American listed companies will not have to report on their Scope 3 emissions in rules that will, however, require them for the first time to disclose other climate data. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) yesterday approved measures that would bind corporates into presenting data on the climate risks they face, their plans to…
Nature-linked Indexes Added to S&P Sustainability Benchmarks
S&P Dow Jones Indices has added another set of ESG-themed benchmarks to its roster, this time providing a gauge for nature-focused investors. The S&P 500 Biodiversity Index and the S&P Global LargeMidCap Biodiversity Index are intended to provide broad views of the impacts companies are having on nature and vice versa. The new suite follows…
Investors See Relevance in Double Materiality Ratings: ISS ESG Survey
Institutional investors believe that ESG ratings built on a double materiality methodology are “very relevant” to them, according to an ISS ESG survey of client needs. The analysis also found that investors consider the reporting standards of International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), UN Global Compact (UNGC) and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)…
SIX Adds to ESG Products With SME Assessment Tool
Swiss financial giant SIX has launched a tool that will enable banking clients to make assessments on the sustainability performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises on their loan books. The service is backed by Greenomy, an ESG assessment and reporting company that the Swiss company acquired late last year. With Greenomy’s software-as-a-service platform, the solution…
EU Approves Proposal to Regulate ESG Ratings Providers
European Union leaders have agreed on a proposal to regulate ESG ratings providers, requiring them to be registered and monitored by financial authorities. Under the planned framework jointly backed by the EU’s executive, the European Council, and its parliament, ESG ratings providers must abide by transparency rules that will oblige them to publish the data…
UK ESG Ratings Code of Conduct to be Explained in London
LSEG, the owner of the London Stock Exchange, will host an event to discuss how the UK’s code of conduct covering ESG ratings and data companies will work in practice. Companies are being invited to sign up to the code of conduct after it was launched in December following its proposal in the summer. The…
S&P DJI Launches Impact-Focused SDG-Alignment Benchmarks
Two new sustainability indices have been launched by S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) enabling investors to benchmark against companies aligned with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The S&P 500 SDG Index and the S&P Global LargeMidCap SDG Index are built on data that reflect the constituent companies’ impact on the environment…
Europe’s Insurance and Pensions Firms Back EU Ratings Regulation
European plans to regulate ESG ratings providers has won backing from the region’s pension and insurance industries. PensionsEurope and Insurance Europe, which represent companies across the bloc, said the European Commission’s (EC) proposed Rating Regulation would “lead to a significant enhancement in the transparency of ESG ratings”. The EC wants to bring ratings providers under…
Novata Expands, Streamlines SFDR Reporting Platform
Novata, an ESG data provider to private markets and investors, has enriched and simplified its Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) compliance tools. The New York-based company said it has made it easier for clients to integrate their SFDR-aligned data with its platform and has created in-platform tools for reporting on the regulation’s Principle Adverse Indicator…
ISS ESG to Provide Sustainability Data to Southern German State
ISS ESG will provide sustainability data that will help drive investment decision making by Germany’s Baden-Wurttemberg state government. The sustainability arm of ISS STOXX said the contract will see the financial research and technology company support the state’s mandate to invest its public funds in sustainable assets. That will include supplying data and metrics on…
Singapore Launches Platform to Host Reported ESG Data
Financial institutions in Singapore will soon have access to AI-powered digital tools that will help them “collect, access and act upon” ESG data. Grnprnt, which is pronounced Greenprint, has been created by the city’s Monetary Authority (MAS) to help corporates automate the reporting of sustainability data that financial companies can then incorporate into their own…
Sustainability Reporting Rises Among Russell 1000, S&P 500 Companies
A survey has found a surge in sustainability reporting by large-cap S&P 500 firms and mid-cap Russell 1000 companies. The survey carried out for corporate sustainability researcher Governance & Accountability Institute (G&A) found that 98 per cent of firms on the S&P 500 – which represent the largest companies on the Russell 1000 – published…
Latest people
RIMM Appoints Former KPMG Sustainability Exec as Adviser
AI-forward ESG data and tech provider RIMM has appointed former KPMG sustainability executive Sue Bonney as a senior adviser. Bonney, who is also an adviser to communications firm Kite Insights and a non-executive director at non-profit responsible leadership mentor Forward Institute, will advise London-based RIMM on integrating ESG into investment strategies.
Broadridge Names Mike Sleightholme as President of Broadridge International
Broadridge Financial Solutions has appointed Mike Sleightholme as president of Broadridge International. Sleightholme, who is based in London, will be responsible for delivering the company’s capital markets technology and data solutions throughout the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions. Sleightholme first joined Broadridge in 2022 as president of its Asset Management Solutions business where he was…
Industry Veteran John White Sets Up Data Management Advisory Firm, Watchdog Data Services
John White, former CEO of 3d Innovations, the market data products and consultancy organisation, has left the company to establish a new data management advisory firm, Watchdog Data Services, LLC, whose goal is to collaborate with key partners in offering clients a broad level of market data consulting and services. White is a long-term veteran…
S&P Names New President at Sustainable1 Unit
Rating company and data vendor S&P Global has appointed a new president to its sustainability business. Chris Heusler has been named president of S&P Global Sustainable1, moving from his role as chief commercial officer at S&P Global Ratings.
ESG Consultancy 7 Centre Launched by Orenda Founder
A new consultancy, 7 Centre, has been launched, dedicated to advising corporate and financial clients on ESG engagement and offering guidance on sustainability strategies and incorporation of ESG factors into decision-making processes. The company was founded by ESG thought leader Tanya Seajay, who created alternative data firm Orenda.
Persefoni Boss Mohin Chosen to Sit on FCA’s ESG Advisory Board
Tim Mohin, chief executive of data provider Persefoni, is among the sustainability-linked financial figures selected to help shape the UK’s regulatory response to ESG issues. The former Global Reporting Initiative chief will be joined by five other executives on the Financial Conduct Authority’s ESG Advisory Board. They include Harald Walkate, senior fellow at the Center for…
ACA Group Names ESG Veteran as European MD
The ACA Group has named former United Nations Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI) European director Marie Luchet as its new Managing Director of ESG. Luchet will lead the governance, risk and compliance adviser’s European operations. In her more-than 20 years working in ESG, Luchet also served as Head of Responsible Investment with ECOFI Investissements and…
More Names Added to Bring ISSB Team to 10
Four more members have been added to the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), the IFRS Foundation’s recently created body that’s been tasked with hammering out an international framework for ESG reporting. They are Richard Barker, of the University of Oxford Saïd Business School’s sustainable business initiatives; Verity Chegar of California State Teachers’ Retirement System; Bing…
Moody’s Appoints Former ISS Director to ESG Role
Moody’s ESG Solutions clients can now examine how companies’ emissions targets align with global net-zero benchmarks via a new Temperature Alignment Data product. The launch came as the company published a report that showed fewer than half of 4,400 companies surveyed had set emissions targets and only 17 per cent mentioned “net-zero”. Meanwhile, Moody’s has…
PRI Names Former Board Member Atkin as Next CEO
The Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI), the United Nations’ body that’s drawing up guidelines for sustainable finance, has appointed former AMP Capital executive David Atkin as its new Chief Executive. Atkin will take over the reins from Fiona Reynolds on December 10. In a career that has spanned major Australian asset managers Cbus, ESS Super…
GoldenSource Hires ex-ION Director to Lead OnDemand Managed Service Solution
GoldenSource has appointed Xavier Gerardin, formerly lead of hosted services at ION, as global head of its OnDemand solution, a cloud-based managed service that provides hosting, technical and business assistance services for the company’s EDM clients. With 20 years’ experience in capital markets, including managing over 100 financial software programmes, Gerardin’s responsibility at GoldenSource is…
LSEG Names David Harris to Lead Sustainable Finance Product Team
London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) has named David Harris to lead its sustainable finance product team, part of the data and analytics division. Harris will report to Stuart Brown, group head of enterprise data solutions, and will build on ongoing investment in ESG and sustainable investment indexes, data and analytics products. Harris will also drive…
Kay Swinburne Named as Chair of the International Regulatory Strategy Group
Dr Kay Swinburne, vice chair of financial services at KPMG UK and former vice chair of the European Parliament’s Economics and Monetary Affairs Committee, has been named chair of the International Regulatory Strategy Group (IRSG). The role was previously held by former city minister Mark Hoban. The IRSG is focused on promoting regulation that encourages…
Former Teradata CEO Oliver Ratzesberger, Appointed Chair of OpenCorporates
OpenCorporates, provider of a large open database of companies worldwide, has named former Teradata CEO Oliver Ratzesberger as the first chair of its board. OpenCorporates has grown rapidly in the past nine years with its White Box company data attracting millions of visitors to its website every month. Users include financial institutions, government agencies and…
Asset Control Targets Buy Side with Nielen Hire
Asset Control’s appointment of industry veteran Stef Nielen is part of a renewed focus on the buy side, following a number of contract wins in that segment. Nielen, who joins director, strategic development, hails from Axioma, where he was sales director, and has held sales-oriented roles with MSCI and RiskMetrics, among other buy-side oriented suppliers….
Featured
FEATURED WEBINAR
Upcoming Webinar: ESG data sourcing and management to meet your ESG strategy, objectives and timeline
Date: 11 June 2024 Time: 10:00am ET / 3:00pm London / 4:00pm CET Duration: 50 minutes ESG data plays a key role in research, fund product development, fund selection, asset selection, performance tracking, and client and regulatory reporting, yet it is not always easy to source and manage in a complete, transparent and timely manner….
FEATURED EVENT
AI in Capital Markets Summit London
The AI in Capital Markets Summit will explore current and emerging trends in AI, the potential of Generative AI and LLMs and how AI can be applied for efficiencies and business value across a number of use cases, in the front and back office of financial institutions. The agenda will explore the risks and challenges of adopting AI and the foundational technologies and data management capabilities that underpin successful deployment.
FEATURED GUIDE
ESG Handbook 2023
The ESG Handbook 2023 edition is the essential guide to everything you need to know about ESG and how to manage requirements if you work in financial data and technology. Download your free copy to understand: What ESG Covers: The scope and definition of ESG Regulations: The evolution of global regulations, especially in the UK…
Top White Papers
The Evolution of Enterprise Data for ESG
Until recently, ESG data was regarded as a peripheral concern among data managers. Today, it is a vital part of an institution’s operations, needed by front- and back-office teams, putting huge new responsibilities on chief data and sustainability officers. Incorporating this new generation of data into institutions’ infrastructures, however, has been a challenge. Many on-prem...
Solving the Enterprise Data Challenge for Institutional Investors
Institutional investors are evolving under pressure from a range of emergent externalities that are prompting many to assume new roles and processes, some of which have traditionally been the preserve of asset managers. Enabled by data-led technology, they are making more direct investments and managing their portfolios in-house. At the same time, they are streamlining...
How to Build an Efficient Enterprise ESG Data Strategy in Banking with Cloud and Machine Learning
ESG investing is now integral to financial institutions’ activities, motivated by client demands for sustainable investment options, regulatory obligations and a growing cultural shift towards ensuring that capital is allocated in order to do better for the planet and the people on it. Data is the magic dust that is enabling the translation of that...
Events and webinars
Recorded Webinar: Putting data management processes in place for MiFID II
The January 2018 compliance deadline for Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) is approaching fast, so how ready are financial institutions to meet the directive’s requirements, what data management processes should they be prioritising to ensure compliance, and what outstanding challenges do they face? Also, what do regulators expect firms to have in...
Recorded Webinar: Managing data, research and trading challenges in the countdown to MiFID II
MiFID II is a far-reaching regulatory directive, years in the works, but now just a few short months from taking effect on January 3. The European Union regulation will have global impact, in areas including unbundling payments for asset management research, allowing systematic internalizers latitude to handle more types of instruments, data management methods and...
Recorded Webinar: Artificial Intelligence in the EDM Era
The scope and scale of structured and unstructured data that financial firms must manage continues to grow exponentially, calling for innovative approaches that can deliver automated, accurate and timely decision making. Artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive computing are prime contenders to ease the enterprise data management burden, but what types of solutions are available, how...
Awards
ESG Insight Awards
Voting is closed and we're counting the votes in the 3rd annual ESG Insight Awards 2024. The ESG Insight Awards have been designed to shine a light on ESG providers and celebrate innovations that help us make progress with such an important goal for the industry.
