EdenTree Investment Management has appointed a chair of its responsible investment advisory panel. Will Oulton (pictured) takes up the role, bringing a wealth of experience from across the sustainable investment arena. He is currently chair of the European Sustainable Investment Forum (Eurosif), a non-executive director and board champion for ocean recovery at the UK-based Marine Conservation Society, as well as…
Ex-PRI CEO Reynolds takes role advising FAIRR
The Jeremy Coller Foundation has appointed Fiona Reynolds, former chief executive of Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), in an advisory role as president of the FAIRR initiative and the Coller Pensions Institute (CPI). Founded in 2015, the FAIRR initiative provides market data, research and tools to help investors understand ESG risks and opportunities in the global food sector. The initiative…
Jupiter launches range of systematic equity funds
Jupiter Asset Management has launched five Article 8 funds to be managed by its systematic equities team. The range will include the Systematic Disruptive Technology fund, the Systematic Consumer Trends fund, the Systematic Healthcare Innovation fund, the Systematic Demographic Opportunities fund and the Systematic Physical World fund. Amadeo Alentorn (pictured), lead of the investment team for the funds, has been…
U.S. Invests $254 Million in Industrial Decarbonization Projects, Technologies
The U.S. Department of Energy announced investments of over $250 million aimed at advancing projects and technologies to decarbonize the industrial sector, including $171 million for 49 selected projects to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions, and the opening of applications for $83 million of funding targeting hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as chemicals, steel, food, and buildings. The advancement of industrial decarbonization…
Texas Bans Barclays from Bond Market over Bank’s ESG Policies
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that the state has banned UK-based bank Barclays from participating as an underwriter in Texas’ municipal bond market, following the company’s failure to respond to requests for information over its ESG policies. The announcement marks the latest in a series of moves in an ongoing anti-ESG movement by Republican politicians in the U.S. Texas…
IESBA Releases Proposed Ethics Standards to Prevent Greenwashing in Sustainability Reporting
Global standards-setting board the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) announced today the release of its new proposed standards for ethical considerations in sustainability reporting and assurance, aimed at mitigating greenwashing and elevating the quality of reported sustainability information. The new IESBA proposals include the exposure drafts “International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance” (IESSA), setting out a framework of…
Guest Post: How AI is Transforming ESG Reporting
In the modern business landscape, where Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations continue to mature, evolving the ESG reporting and performance journey is more than a corporate responsibility, it’s a strategic imperative. Jim Pelletier of Wolters Kluwer TeamMate examines the opportunities. The ESG journey often begins by navigating a labyrinth of data, standards, and regulatory requirements. Many organizations are focused…
EU Adopts New Regulation Eliminating 500 Million Tonnes of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The European Council announced today that it has adopted new legislation aimed at phasing down highly potent greenhouse gases including fluorinated gases (F-gases) and ozone depleting substances (ODSs), marking the last major step to the implementation of the new regulation. According to a statement by the European Commission welcoming the announcement, the new rules will result in the elimination of…
Moody’s Forecasts Resilient Sustainable Bond Market, with Cleantech Investment Offset by Soft Macro Environment
Issuance volumes of green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked (GSSS) bonds grew modestly in 2023 to $946 billion from $925 billion in 2022, maintaining a record 14% share of overall bond issuance, with continued growth in Europe and Asia Pacific markets offset by another year of sharp declines in North America, according to a new report from Moody’s Investors Service. For…
Lead the Way on Climate, US Pensions Told
New research from Sierra Club shows proxy voting guidelines do not account sufficiently for climate-related risks. US state pension funds have been told they must become leaders on climate action by establishing clear proxy voting guidelines to address related risks, regardless of the anti-ESG movement that has been snowballing across the country. New research from non-profit organisation Sierra Club…