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governance in brief

Governance in Brief – August 18, 2022

HSBC pressured to spin off its Asia business Hong Kong-based investor Ping An, which holds an 8.3% stake in HSBC, continues to pressure the lender to spin off its Asia business. The investor first advanced the idea in April 2022, but was at that point rebuffed by HSBC’s leadership.

Utilities and Carbon Emissions

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.

governance in brief

Governance in Brief – August 11, 2022

At Tesla AGM, ESG proposals fall short of goal line Tesla’s August 4, 2022, AGM rejected seven shareholder proposals addressing: reporting on anti-harassment and discrimination efforts, board diversity reporting, employee arbitration, lobbying reporting, freedom of association and collective bargaining, child labour reporting, and water risk reporting.

Does ESG Impact Valuation? Answering the Most Common Questions About IPO ESG Assessments

Companies working toward an IPO increasingly understand that having an effective ESG strategy is an important strategic consideration for investors and regulators alike. This FAQ answers the most common questions about what an ESG assessment involves.

Sustainalytics Podcast

What’s Happening in Sustainable Finance: The Shifting Regulatory Landscape, Reporting on Impact, Focus on Biodiversity, and More

In this month’s rundown of all things sustainable finance, we look at shifting regulations for investors, issuers and service providers, how issuers can measure the impact of their GSSS bonds, and the growing spotlight on biodiversity in financial markets.

Preparing for an IPO: How an ESG Assessment Can Make a Difference

For pre-IPO companies, having a plan to manage ESG issues and disclosures can make a difference in pre-IPO fundraising, valuation, building credibility in the market, and contributing to the overall success of an IPO. This blog post explains why.

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.

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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.