governance in brief

Governance in Brief – August 4, 2022

Alibaba plans primary listing in Hong Kong Alibaba Group will apply for a primary listing in Hong Kong, with the process expected to be completed by the end of this year. Currently, the Chinese tech giant has a primary listing in the US and a secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The Next Frontier - Impact Reporting

The increasing urgency of the climate crisis has resulted in most investors demanding for more information about the extent to which their investments and portfolios are aligned with the 2°C Paris Agreement target. A recent Environmental Finance Report indicated that 90% of investors regard impact reports as ‘crucial’ and yet 75% of them said that current impact reporting practices are ‘inadequate’ and the lack of impact reporting deterred them from making further investments.

twitter social icon

Why ESG Investors Follow the Elon Musk Twitter Takeover

A self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist”, Musk has criticized what he views as excessive moderation on online platforms, indicating his desire to ease Twitter’s content moderation policies and only remove content deemed illegal by governments.

governance in brief

Governance in Brief – July 28, 2022

German government bails out gas supplier Uniper amid energy crisis The German government has agreed to bail out gas importer Uniper in a deal worth EUR 15 billion. Faced with reduced gas flows from Russia and soaring energy prices, the company had recently asked the government for financial support, making use of newly adopted legislation allowing energy companies to receive support from the government.

blockchain technology climate change

How Blockchain Technology can Unlock Climate Solutions

In this year’s recent thematic research report by Sustainalytics, An ESG Lens on Blockchain and Public Equities, we assessed how a small but growing number of companies in resource-intensive industries, such as utilities, mining and semiconductor manufacturing, are developing blockchain solutions as part of their strategy to address environmental risks related to carbon emissions, water withdrawal, and responsible sourcing.

ESG for IPOs: Becoming ESG-Ready for Your Initial Public Offering

ESG for IPOs: Becoming ESG-Ready for Your Initial Public Offering

Learn why pre-IPO companies need to focus on ESG issues to attract key investors, make their companies more competitive, and help build solid reputations.

shipping containers ocean

Ocean Carriers Facing Increased ESG Risk Amidst Supply Chain Crisis

Maritime shipping is the most common mode of transport for global trade, with around 80-90% of the volume of international trade in goods carried by sea. Complex supply chain challenges around the world made 2021 an exceptionally challenging year for retailers, exacerbating global inflation. Still, it was also very profitable for ocean carriers and containership owners.

Integrating Impact into your Investment Process

Join Morningstar Sustainalytics to discover emerging best practices for evaluating key impact metrics of portfolio companies and better understand your investments’ environmental and social impacts.

Listen to the latest episode of the Sustainalytics Podcast | Aligning Executive Action to Strategy With Sustainability-Linked Compensation

The Sustainalytics Podcast | Aligning Executive Action to Strategy With Sustainability-Linked Compensation

Learn about how tying executive compensation to ESG performance can enhance a company’s accountability and transparency, the challenges organizations are facing, the types of metrics firms use for ESG-linked compensation programs, industries and regions with high pay-link adoption, steps to make your company’s program credible and transparent, and more.

governance in brief

Governance in Brief – July 21, 2022

Musk sued for dropping Twitter deal Twitter has filed suit against Elon Musk over the billionaire’s decision to terminate his USD 44 billion acquisition of the social media platform.

ESG spotlight report Metal mining and resource nationalization

Metal Mining and Resource Nationalization

This Morningstar Sustainalytics report uncovers significant ESG risks facing the mining industry, with an emphasis on resource nationalization.

EV charging station

Cobalt ESG Risks Threaten Electric Vehicle Supply Chain

Transport electrification is at the forefront of the international climate transition agenda. Because of this, global demand for cobalt is projected to grow fourfold by 2030, which raises the question, are mineral supply chains robust enough to fuel a sustainable EV revolution?

governance in brief

Governance in Brief – July 14, 2022

SEC rescinds proxy advisory restrictions The U.S. SEC has voted to rescind Trump-era rules covering proxy advisers, in a move that is meant to facilitate the “timeliness and independence of proxy voting advice.”

Q&A | ESG-Linked Compensation: Getting Started, Common Metrics, and the Role of Banks

How do companies initiate the process of tying executive compensation to ESG metrics? The second part of our Q&A with Sustainalytics' resident expert.

oil and gas europe russia

How Europe’s Energy Crisis Impacts the Clean Energy Transition

Europe is facing two major crises—an energy crisis, worsened by Russian energy supply disruptions and the challenge of tackling climate change. Renewables have the potential to accelerate EU's energy independence and reduce emissions. Still, there is also an urgent need to secure an adequate energy supply, especially in the coming winter months when heating demand increases. In the short-term, many EU countries are turning to other fossil fuel producers in the Middle East OPEC+ and the US, as well as domestic coal production. For firms deciding which energy projects to invest in, they face a complex question: are energy supply disruptions advancing the EU’s transition to a lower-carbon economy and its energy independence or furthering the continent’s dependence on fossil fuels?

Correlation of Business Ethics and Corporate Culture - 5 Lessons from the Banking Industry

To protect a company’s reputation and economic position, its employees play an essential part in organisational risk mitigation strategy by demonstrating consideration for systemic business risk, taking accountability, and being willing to escalate concerns. Companies with a strong, ethical corporate culture have much to gain—improved employee performance, morale, and retention, and in the long run, bolstering the bottom line.

web_header1

Q&A | How Companies Are Using Sustainability-Linked Compensation to Advance ESG Goals

Can sustainability-linked compensation advance ESG goals? The first part of our Q&A with Sustainalytics' resident expert tackles this and a few other interesting questions.

governance in brief

Governance in Brief – July 7, 2022

Microsoft and Cisco Systems have come under shareholder pressure to bring their tax disclosure in line with the Global Reporting Initiative’s GRI 207 tax transparency standard, which requires granular country-by-country disclosure on non-U.S. profits and tax payments, as well as other financial data relating to tax risk appetite

EU Flags

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.

controversial weapons ESG

The Governance of Autonomous Weapons: What Investors Should Know

The ethical implications of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), often referred to by their dramatic moniker ‘killer robots’, have long been a topic of interest. Until recently, debates about LAWS were relegated as hypothetical, with the technology assumed to be under development and out of reach. Such assumptions may be due for reevaluation, and while a firm conclusion is yet to be drawn, it is worthwhile presenting them to the ESG investment community.