Most of North America’s largest investors have made net zero pledges and are able to demonstrate headway. Thirty-seven of North America’s 48 largest investors have made net zero commitments leveraging elements of Investor Climate Action Plans (ICAPs), a survey by sustainability nonprofit Ceres has shown. Ceres’ analysis was based on submissions made against the recommendations of the Task Force on…
Investors Tap Widening Pool of Solutions to Water Crisis
Asset managers make the case for long-term investing in the mitigation of water-related risks globally. Given the wide array of risks arising from water stress and pollution, investing in water-focused climate solutions and engaging with portfolio companies to address negative impacts are a long-term priority by sustainability-focused asset managers. Roughly half of the world’s population currently experiences severe water…
Robeco Launches New Climate Transition-Focused Equities Index Suite
International asset manager Robeco announced the launch of the Robeco Climate Equities Indices, and new index family aimed at providing investors with exposure to investments supporting global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change, and catering to a broad range of climate investing stages. According to Robeco, the new indices incorporate, to varying degress, the firm’s proprietary tools…
Mind the Net Zero Funding Gap
Sebastian Peck, Managing Partner at Kompas, says debt financing can help accelerate governments’ clean energy commitments and support climate tech growth. Earlier this week, Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, said “painful” choices lie ahead if the country is to fill a £22 billion black hole in its public finances. Implicit in Starmer’s statement was a universal truth for governments…
Did Loper Bright Kill the SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rules?
Following the US Supreme Court’s overturning of Chevron, Michael Gold, Partner at Saul Ewing, considers the future of the agency’s rule-setting. “Today, the Court places a tombstone on Chevron no one can miss,” states Justice Gorsuch in his concurring opinion in Loper Bright vs. Raimondo. The question becomes does Loper Bright also “place a tombstone” on the Securities Exchange Commission’s…
Let’s Talk About Building Resilience
Mark Crouch, Decarbonisation Discipline Lead at Mott MacDonald, outlines the importance of bridging the language gap between physical infrastructure and finance. Since July, the new UK government has been setting out a refreshed approach to delivering and enhancing national infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on the importance of unlocking private investment. Of the 40 new bills announced as part of…
Take Five: Lost in Transition
A selection of the major stories impacting ESG investors, in five easy pieces. Events this week reflected the complex nature of the net zero journeys facing companies, industries and governments. In transit – The EU’s Taxonomy came under fire this week, with environmental campaigners taking the bloc to court over its inclusion of still-brown air and sea transport. NGOs filed…
Private Equity’s Increasing Impact in Africa
Vital Capital’s Head of Impact, Tamar Pashtan, talks about driving transformative change and delivering market-rate returns in developing economies – particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Capital allocation in impact investing has continued to expand over the past decade, with a maturing industry and investors focusing on aligning their investments with their values, as well as achieving market-rate returns. While developed markets, such…
Impact Investors Must “Get Closer” to Avoid Entrenching Inequality
Investors’ measurement and management tools need to better account for environmental and societal outcomes, says Oxford report. Investors’ impact monitoring and reporting processes may contribute to worsening equality, with those most in need of financing finding it harder to access, according to new research. The report – published by from Oxford University’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment –…
Has Carbon Reporting Become a Barrier to Action?
In the UK, the push towards comprehensive sustainability disclosure has led organisations to grapple with an ever-expanding volume of data requirements. As the scope of responsibilities around data collection, recording, validation, and processing widens, UK companies navigate a complex regulatory environment and significant operational challenges. Many UK sustainability leaders believe the administrative burdens of carbon reporting are actively delaying their…