ESG Research and Resource Center

Cleaner shipping has been a trending topic particularly since the International Maritime Organization (IMO) declared that 2020 will mark the “beginning of a decade of action and delivery” for the shipping industry.[i] A key approach to cleaner shipping is for companies to renew their fleet with more environmental-friendly vessels. However, this approach triggers an obsolescence of older vessels and increases shipbreaking activity. In Sustainalytics’ 10 for 2020 report, we mention the issue of shipping practices with large environmental impacts including shipbreaking practices which we will explore more in depth in this article.

Download our Sustainability-Linked Bonds Methodology backgrounder to understand our approach to assess alignment with the Sustainability-Linked Bond Principles (SLBP).

In this video, Lili Hocke, Sustainable Finance Solutions Product Manager, explains in detail the methodology behind our Second-Party Opinion approach on Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLBs).

In November 2019, as part of the Sustainable Seafood Engagement, Sustainalytics visited Chile to learn more about the country’s rapidly growing aquaculture industry. Commercial salmon farming has developed quickly in Chile over the past two decades, and today the country is the second largest producer of seafood in the world. Although salmon is not a native species to Chile, the climate in the southern part of the country (zones 10 and 11) offers excellent conditions for farming activities. Farmed salmon now represents the country’s second largest export and the industry provides thousands of jobs for people living in some of Chile’s most remote communities.[i] Despite this economic success story, the industry also faces environmental and social challenges which may cause investor risk. These risks may become more pronounced in the future, as the sector now looks to expand deeper into biodiversity hotspots.

In this year’s edition of our 10 for series, we put an environmental, social and governance (ESG) lens on 10 investment themes that may offer investors an opportunity to create a positive social and environmental impact through the equity market. The trends we identify are driven by corporate initiatives to scale new technologies, improve social conditions, conserve ecosystems and mitigate climate change.

Review the second-party opinions for some of the green, social and sustainability bonds mentioned in our 500th SPO post. Learn more about the issuers, and the socially and environmentally focused projects and initiatives their bonds funded.

Climate bonds, loans or debt instruments are used to finance or re-finance projects that address climate change and are in line with achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Such projects include wind farms, solar plants, sustainable buildings, etc. and can be found in a multitude of sectors including shipping, agriculture, energy or forestry amongst others.

As the largest second-party opinion provider, Sustainalytics works with hundreds of the world’s leading issuers and investment banks to help them bring credible sustainability bonds and loans to market.

Climate risk management is one of the overarching challenges facing members of society, including investors. Investors are striving to understand and integrate the financial impact of climate-related risks and opportunities in investment decisions.

This engagement focuses on addressing risks related to child- and forced labor in the targeted companies’ supply chains, as well as to remediate potential adverse labor rights impacts. Particular focus is placed on the identified high-risk commodities, namely coffee, rice, sugar, tea and tomatoes.

Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Ratings are designed to help investors identify and understand financially material ESG risks in their portfolio companies and how those risks might affect performance.

ESG Risk Ratings are categorized across five risk levels. Sustainalytics' ESG Risk Ratings span more than 12,000 companies and encompass most major global indices. Have questions about ESG Risk Ratings? Learn more from our FAQ

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is accelerating. Technological progress, globalization and demographic shifts, will bring structural changes and disruptions to society and labor markets. This engagement supports investors in understanding how companies can proactively manage workforce needs and transitions for a sustainable labor market.

Sustainalytics’ Corporate Impact Report calculates the social, environmental, and economic impact of a business, focusing on the material issues that are most relevant to its industry and region.

While being a vital part of the response to climate change as well as other economic and societal needs, the growing supply of cleantech products also entails environmental and social challenges within the various processes across the value chain. This engagement aims to encourage and enable the cleantech industry to grow in a more responsible manner.

Engaging with marine fisheries and aquaculture producers, the focus is on managing seafood sustainability risks and opportunities, which in turn contributes to long-term operational continuity and sustainability.

Sustainalytics‘ works with leading index providers to develop and maintain indexes that track the ESG performance of companies.

Sustainalytics' Material Risk Engagement assists and protects companies with the highest unmanaged ESG Risks, Material Risk Engagement is change-oriented and has a long-term commitment to engagement.

This engagement focuses on sustainable management of water resources on the local level. The engagement targets companies across selected sectors that share the same water catchment in the Tiete (Brazil) and/or Vaal (South Africa) river basins.

An ESG Risk Ratings Licence from Sustainalytics, allows your company to use Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Rating for various internal and external corporate purposes. As awareness of the materiality of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors has grown, so too has the demand for new uses of ESG data and information to be disclosed beyond just the investor community.