Data Management Insight ESG & Sustainability The latest content from across the platform
Morningstar Unveils New SDG-Aligned Benchmarks
A new set of indexes created by Morningstar will enable investors to put their money into companies that are aligned with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDFs). The research giant will include in the Morningstar Global Sustainable Activities Involvement Indexes (SAI) only companies that also committing a substantial proportion of their revenue to…
Data Poses Challenges for UK Pension Funds’ Climate Compliance
A year after pension funds in the UK were required to begin compiling sustainability reports on their portfolios, a survey has shown that data challenges are making the task difficult. A shortage of emissions data, inconsistencies in reporting and a reliance on estimates are making it almost impossible for funds that hold about £2.2 trillion…
Fitch Consideration of ESG Metric in Credit Ratings a ‘Logical Step’
Fitch Ratings’ announcement that it is considering the inclusion of climate transition risks in its credit scores has been welcomed as “a logical step” as the firm seeks to bring greater transparency to a maligned part of the ESG data and metrics space. The London- and Paris-headquartered ratings company published a “discussion paper” last week,…
Fitch Mulls Inclusion of Climate Risks in Credit Scores
Fitch is seeking views on the inclusion of climate-risk factors in the calculation of the broad credit worthiness scores it provides for thousands of companies. The ratings company said its Climate Vulnerability Scores, which it provides separate to regular credits ratings, could provide an additional screen in the assessment of firms’ credit worthiness.
TNFD To Unveil COP15 Influenced Iteration of Reporting Framework
The Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is to release the latest version of its guide on how financial institutions should report on their biodiversity risks. The fourth iteration, due next month, is informed by the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) agreed at the COP15 in Montreal late last year. Target 15, of the GBF’s 23…
ESG Data Spotlight Shines on Sovereign Debt and its Challenges
The ESG lens is being focused on sovereign bonds, considered by many observers as the next frontier for sustainability data. The Assessing Sovereign Climate-Related Opportunities and Risks (Ascor) project has launched a framework for assessing government debt that it hopes will develop into a standalone tool. The organisation, which comprises asset owners and managers that…
Mizuho Bolsters ESG Data Capabilities as Japan Toughens Regulations
Japanese financial giant Mizuho Bank has upgraded its ESG data capabilities as the government in Tokyo tightens rules on sustainability reporting and after the bank was implicated in a greenwashing scandal. The financial services major has put in place a disclosures and data verification framework to help it assess the progress and credibility of net-zero…
Delivering on ESG Through the Cloud
By Shaun Hurst, Principal Regulatory Advisor for EMEA, Smarsh. ESG, the acronym that refers to the alignment of environmental, social, and governance performance and objectives with company practices and investor strategies, has evolved from being a ‘nice to have’ for companies and financial institutions to a concrete expectation. But with rising regulation, litigation and growing scrutiny…
Pension Fund TCFD Alignment Hampered by Data, Report Says
The shortage and inconsistency of sustainability data is preventing pension funds from formulating climate-forward investment strategies, according to a report by Pensions for Purpose. The data challenges mean few funds are aligning with the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework to shape their approach to ESG and their use of some analytics remains limited,…
Data Challenge Poses ESG Rethink for Private Equity
Uncertainty over how ESG data should be used and reported is placing a strain on private equity investment, one of the fastest growing pools of capital going into sustainable markets. A survey by software-as-a-service data management firm Key ESG found that nine in 10 of the portfolio companies that private funds trust to manage their…