ESG in Conversation: ISSB Sets New Standards for Sustainability Reporting
In this episode, learn about the upcoming greenhouse gas reporting requirements for North American companies, EU's Fit for 55 package and the implication for companies in the region, and what the newly published ISSB standards mean for companies and investors.
Implications of CSRD: What the Final Standards Mean for Investors and Issuers
With the introduction of the European Sustainability Report Standards, which set the criteria to implement the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, investors in the region can better evaluate companies’ sustainability performance. Discover the elements of the standards and what they mean for the sustainable finance market.
Regulating 'Forever' Chemicals: Examining Company Readiness and Investor Risk
Chemical companies face growing pressure to phase out some of the most hazardous substances from their product portfolios. Learn how well companies manage related risks and what upcoming regulations could mean for them and their investors.
Mandatory Scope 3 Emissions Reporting in the U.S. and Canada: Most Companies Are Unprepared
Learn just how prepared U.S. and Canadian companies are for the proposed scope 3 emissions disclosure rules and how investors can leverage engagement to help companies meet the various challenges of GHG emissions reporting.
Policy Responses to Climate Change: The EU’s Fit for 55 Package and Its Implications for Companies and Investors
Governments need to be more decisive to slow global temperature rise. The EU’s Fit for 55 package, with its ambitious targets for energy-intensive sectors, is an example of the required policy response needed to decarbonize global economies.
EU's Iterative Approach to Sustainable Finance Regulations Isn't Perfect, But It's a Good Start
The EU Action Plan for Sustainable Finance has kept the European investment market busy over the past year. In this blog post, we highlight the merits that we see in the EU regulatory package. While not perfect, the regulation is a good start.
Investors Seek Meaningful Scope 3 Emissions Targets to Evaluate Climate Transition Plans
Climate concerns continued to dominate proxy voting in the 2022 proxy season. With more clarity on sectoral commitments required to achieve the global net zero goal, shareholders’ requests have become noticeably more specific. A larger number of resolutions asked companies to adopt and report on emissions reduction targets and transition plans that reference the latest forward-looking guidance.
Post-COP15 Outlook: Evolving Investor Responsibilities in Biodiversity
Awaiting COP15’s Global Biodiversity Framework negotiation outcomes, financial market participants could face new regulatory pressure sooner than expected to integrate biodiversity assessment into their investment, decision-making processes.
Danish Delegation Engages Sustainalytics’ Biodiversity Expert, Enabling Front Row Access to COP15 Negotiations
Finance Day within the U.N. Biodiversity Conference (COP15) is fast approaching, and Morningstar Sustainalytics’ team members will be in attendance, each focusing on different investor biodiversity considerations related to active ownership.
The Role of Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Achieving Decarbonization by 2050
Meeting the aviation's industry's goal of decarbonization by 2050 will require a collective effort and more ambitious measures than those currently in place, including carbon offsetting, route optimization, fuel efficiency and fleet renewals that involve a shift to more eco-friendly aircraft. However, all of these measures still revolve around fossil fuels as a source of energy.
Physical Climate Risks: 6 Things Portfolio Managers Need to Know
The negative physical impacts of climate change are being felt by communities and corporations globally and are likely to get worse in the coming years. The knock-on costs of more frequent “once-in-a-century” climate events on economies are likely to rise. To prepare for this looming threat, investors must forecast the asset-level effects of climate change on companies in a granular and sophisticated way. Here are six things portfolio managers should know to manage and mitigate the physical risks of climate change to their portfolios and meet growing list of climate-focused reporting requirements.
Applying Business and Human Rights International Standards to Investor Due Diligence
Socially conscious ESG investors are interested in how to implement international business and human rights norms in their portfolios and understand the potential impacts of applying additional screening criteria within their strategy.
Telecom Network Outages, the ESG Risks of a Connected World
The telecom industry is exposed to several Material ESG Issues, including Data Privacy and Security, Business Ethics, Human Capital and Product Governance. Product Governance issues in the telecom industry include service quality, maintaining reliable, high-speed networks, and responding to customer billing concerns.
Impact of US Supreme Court’s EPA Ruling on US Utilities’ Carbon Exposure
The Clean Power Plan was created using a directive from the Clean Air Act that enabled the EPA to set emission limits for air pollutants based on the best available technology to reduce emissions. The EPA aimed to cap carbon emissions and curb greenhouse (GHG) emissions by changing the composition of the existing operational power generation assets by forcing the closure of coal plants through strict emission caps, resulting in a system-wide transition to renewable energy.
Sustainable Investment Calculations Under MiFID II and SFDR Remain Perplexing for ESG Investors
The various interpretations of the sustainable investment definition introduced by the SFDR and leveraged in MiFID II leave many market participants unsettled, having to decide between approaches that have different benefits and limitations in the short to medium term.