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A Pipeline for Strategic ESG Risk Mitigation

Given the ESG impacts often associated pipeline projects, it is reasonable to say that pipelines have been a source of controversy in North America and around the world. In 2020 alone, several major pipeline projects face high levels of public and community-based opposition; with consequences including widespread protests (as was the case for TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink project at the beginning of this year) and large-scale regulatory and legal challenges (as seen currently with the Dakota Access Pipeline).

ESG Innovators in the ever-changing world of investment solutions

NN Investment Partners (NN IP) is the asset manager of NN Group N.V., a publicly traded corporation, headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands. NN Investment Partners offers specialized SRI funds and tailor-made responsible investment solutions that meet the growing demand for products that generate good financial returns and at the same time have positive impact on society.

ESG at a Reasonable Price in China

Over the last decade, portfolio managers worldwide have been increasingly convinced that incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria into investment decisions could provide better risk-adjusted returns. As a result, responsible investing, has moved from a niche activity to the mainstream. As more capital shifts to ESG products, there have been discussions regarding the risk of an ESG bubble as stocks with good ESG scores have enjoyed price appreciation and sometimes go beyond fundamentals[i].

Understanding ESG Incidents: Key Lessons for Investors

Our Thematic research report, Understanding ESG Incidents: Key Lessons for Investors, provides a complete exploration of Sustainalytics’ incidents collection framework and offers comprehensive insight into company activities that generate undesirable social or environmental effects.

Smart Beta and ESG

Aberdeen Standard Investments, Sustainalytics and the University of Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and Environment have published “Smart Beta and ESG: Promoting sustainability in smart beta investment strategies”.

COVID-19 and ESG at a Reasonable Price in Australia

“We are living in extraordinary times” seems to be these days’ mantra. It certainly reflects well the dynamics of global share markets, including Australia’s, as shown in the chart below.

Exhibit 1 ESG Spotlight July 2020

ESG Spotlight | The COVID-19 Incidents Curve: Corporate Events and Impacts

Sustainalytics’ new ESG Spotlight Series report, The COVID-19 Incidents Curve: Corporate Events and Impacts, explores emerging ESG trends related to COVID-19 corporate incidents tracked since January 2020.

Sustainable Fund Labels: Diverse Definitions of Sustainability

Sustainable financial products are marked with an increasingly large list of tags, from green, sustainable, socially responsible to thematic ESG, water, carbon or impact funds, and not every investor might know how to make sense of these terms. Sustainable fund labels can be one way to signal to the market that the fund has a dedicated responsible investment strategy.

How Investors Integrate ESG: A Typology of Approaches

This report, How Investors are Integrating ESG: A Typology of Approaches, classifies ESG integration approaches along three dimensions: management (who is integrating ESG), research (what is being integrated), and application (how the integration is taking place). The authors then used the typology to identify six prevailing approaches of ESG integration in the market today.

ESGarp Scores: In Search of Reasonably Priced, Low ESG Risk Stocks

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to further amp up the market’s interest in ESG investment research. It’s not just that ESG funds and indices have generally outperformed their non-ESG counterparts since the COVID-19 sell-off began in mid-February.[i] It’s also that the pandemic itself has drawn attention to ESG issues ranging from biodiversity and habitat loss to employee relations and supply chain management.

Exhibit 1 The COVID-19 sell-off and incipient recovery graph

Utilising ESG in the Covid-19 Recovery

In this report, the first in Sustainalytics’ new Portfolio Research series, we offer analysis about where investors can get the biggest “ESG bang for their buck” as they navigate the COVID-19 market recovery.

Climate Action, Human Health and Responsible Investing

This year, we mark Earth Day under a pandemic. To date, casualties of the novel coronavirus include more than 170,000 deaths, ongoing disruptions to healthcare systems and a deep economic downturn. As we face the first global recession in a decade, Earth Day – the theme of which this year is climate action – serves as a reminder for investors to reflect on how their investment activities relate to social and environmental health concerns.

EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan: Final Taxonomy Report Published and Other Developments

The highly anticipated final report by the TEG (Technical Expert Group) on the EU Taxonomy was published in early March, followed by a stakeholder information session. You can read our blog post on last fall’s developments here.

Coronavirus, oil prices and ESG: three takeaways for investors

Monday’s rout of the global equity market has left investors reeling. Major benchmarks including the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the DAX were down well over 7%. In Canada, the commodities heavy TSX Composite shed over 10%.

The ESG Risk Ratings: Potential Applications for Investors

With our third ESG Risk Ratings white paper, we explore how investors could potentially apply the ESG Risk Ratings to their investment processes. Below are some key takeaways from the white paper. To learn more, register for our regional webinar using the buttons at the bottom of the page.

10 for 2020: Creating Impact Through Thematic Investing (Japanese)

In Sustainalytics’ thematic research report, 10 for 2020: Creating Impact Through Thematic Investing, we present investors with ten ESG investment themes that can positively contribute to advancing the SDGs.

Finding your path in the upcoming ESG regulations

Finding your path in the upcoming ESG regulations: A spotlight on EU Taxonomy and Disclosures The Taxonomy is a classification framework, part of the EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan, designed to determine whether an economic activity is environmentally sustainable.

EU Action Plan - Benchmark Guidance

Understand how Sustainalytics' research and data can assist benchmark administrators in implementing the EU Climate Transition Benchmarks and EU Paris-aligned Benchmarks.

10 for 2020: Creating Impact Through Thematic Investing

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are playing an increasingly important role in shaping the sustainability roadmaps of investors, governments and civil society groups. In Sustainalytics’ thematic research report, 10 for 2020: Creating Impact Through Thematic Investing, we present investors with ten ESG investment themes that can positively contribute to advancing the SDGs.

10 for 2019: Systemic Risks Loom Large

In 10 for 2019: Systemic Risks Loom Large, we offer a forward-looking view of significant ESG issues that could affect global investment portfolios in 2019. Applying Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Ratings framework, we identify a selection of subindustries with high levels of unmanaged risk and profile 10 firms with leading ESG management practices and low levels of unmanaged ESG risk.