First omnibus package expected to shrink scope of carbon levy on imports as bloc wrestles with competitiveness fears. The simplification of the EU’s carbon tax mechanism for emissions-intensive imported goods will help to reduce the compliance burden for companies, but its application timeline must be upheld, according to policy specialists.   The EU has committed to a five-year simplification agenda…

Investor concerns linger over attempts to sideline sustainability, but others say simplification was long overdue.  Many sustainability-focused investment managers and asset owners remain anxious that the UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has removed all mention of ‘environment’ and ‘society’ from its definition of stewardship.  Others, though, see this as a positive step, saying that the simplification will make it easier…

A selection of the major stories impacting ESG investors, in five easy pieces.  This week saw big questions raised over how and why investors use their influence as active owners. Common cause – At least some UK-based asset owners and managers found themselves on the same side of a couple of arguments this week. After a pension fund-led coalition laid…

Virginie Derue, Head of Responsible Investment Research at AXA Investment Managers, identifies unifying themes for 2025 across social and environmental issues.   Climate risks and geopolitics were both in the limelight, and often clashing, in 2024 as a myriad of questions were raised concerning the future of sustainability efforts.   In 2025, there is likely to be much scrutiny around…

Sam Willis, Biodiversity Consultant at Ramboll, outlines opportunities for UK-based property developers and investors to hedge financial and nature risks. February 2025 marks the one-year anniversary of statutory biodiversity net gain (BNG), with UK developers now required to deliver a minimum 10% net gain on their developments, through on-site or off-site mitigation or via biodiversity credits. Recently, the Department for…

Policy support for sustainability and governance is paving the way for greater corporate engagement, says Yvette Kwan, Executive Advisor at ASIFMA.   Shaking up existing stewardship practices can take time, especially when the current approach is so deeply embedded. But regulators in APAC want to improve things as they seek to attract fresh capital to the region.  Many countries in…

As press headlines declare a moratorium on ESG, this month’s Policy Digest zooms in on recent developments across the globe signalling otherwise.   The International Foundation for Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation has laid out a “climate first” approach to sustainability reporting, to support gradual coverage of broader sustainability topics across global jurisdictions adopting the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards. In…