MSCI, a leading provider of investment decision support tools, announced today MSCI ESG Research’s launch of MSCI ESG Manager, a new integrated platform designed to provide asset managers and owners with an integrated suite of tools to efficiently manage research, analysis and compliance tasks across the spectrum of ESG factors.
With the launch of MSCI ESG Manager, MSCI is also introducing MSCI ESG Impact Monitor. This product allows investors to analyze a company’s significant social and environmental impacts and its ability to manage those impacts. Included are assessments of major ESG controversies and violations of global norms and conventions such as the UN Global Compact and ILO Core Conventions. Institutional investors can monitor new controversies and violations using the ESG Alert functionality of the platform.
MSCI ESG Impact Monitor covers the MSCI World and will expand to include all companies in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index in September 2011. Small-cap coverage in regions including the UK, Australia, Canada and Scandinavia will be added subsequently.
MSCI ESG Manager brings together MSCI ESG’s Impact Monitor with MSCI ESG’s business involvement screening research in one platform. Business involvement screening research allows investors to identify all global publicly-traded companies involved in activities such as the production of alcohol or tobacco products, or those that violate religious screening mandates such as Catholic or Islamic Values. It also allows investors to divest from companies that violate legislative mandates that prohibit investment in companies that manufacture controversial weapons such as cluster bombs and landmines or operate in countries such as Sudan and Iran. MSCI will introduce ESG ratings to MSCI ESG Manager later this year.
The innovative ESG Manager platform provides a complete suite of robust functionalities meeting the complex screening needs of global asset managers and owners. Institutional investors can also generate restricted lists, download research reports and data and receive timely email alerts on notable ESG research changes.
The launch is a major milestone in the integration of sustainability pioneers KLD, Innovest and IRRC which were acquired through MSCI’s acquisition of RiskMetrics Group in 2010. “We have been building out the new MSCI ESG Research and Index businesses: expanding our sales, client service, product development, and research teams around the globe,” said Remy Briand, Managing Director and Global Head of Index and ESG Research at MSCI.
“The launch of MSCI ESG Manager brings together our ESG research and analytics in one integrated platform, one of the most innovative of its kind in the ESG community,” added Remy Briand. “Our aim is to set standards for the ESG market place by providing products and services to help clients integrate ESG factors into their investment processes, and the new MSCI ESG Manager provides an easy and convenient way to do this.”
