Ten-year index findings highlight limited progress, building a case for adding the theme to investors’ “constellation” of ESG-related considerations.  Evidence is accumulating to show that disability inclusion is integral to companies’ sustainable long-term performance and should therefore be a priority social-related engagement theme for investors.  Global non-profit Disability:IN recently published its 2024 Disability Equality Index, highlighting improvements in almost all…

A selection of the major stories impacting ESG investors, in five easy pieces.  Green policies were given a reboot in the UK and Europe this week, while the tech sector’s ESG credentials weakened. Rebalancing act – This week’s King’s Speech gave an insight into the priorities of Britain’s new Labour government, indicating an appetite to address challenges across the ESG…

Frances Deakin, LPPI’s Head of Responsible Investment, outlines the reasons why a whole-scheme management model is the right approach for UK pension schemes. “Stewardship encompasses everything that we manage, including our pension fund clients’ assets and reputation; it is not just about traditional activities such as engagement,” Frances Deakin told ESG Investor. “Viewing stewardship as everything we do is my…

Fewer than half of EU nations explicitly support the measures, but opposition may not be enough to block it. An EU proposal to put permanent tariffs on electric vehicles (EV) from China has won the support of fewer than half of member states, a vote this week showed, exposing divisions within the bloc and raising questions about the Brussels-designed policy’s…

Rhys Kirk, Chief Technology Officer at Conrad Energy, highlights how innovations like digital twinning and AI are bolstering sustainability and efficiency.   Businesses and investors have not historically associated the energy industry with cutting edge digital or technological innovation. There have been a number of reasons for this, including the regulated nature of the industry meaning that new technology, digital tools, and…

Alan Riley, Director at epi Consulting, considers strategies for cutting Scope 3 emissions in an increasingly carbon-intensive technology sector. Microsoft’s record purchase of carbon removal credits, from 1PointFive, reflects the realisation that with AI data centres driving up its emissions, the company must do something – or risk missing its net zero target. Google, too, has turned its attention to…

Melville Rodrigues, Head of Real Assets Advisory at Apex Group, says a renewed focus on SFDR’s original goals will benefit investors in real estate and beyond. Highly critical recent assessments from EU regulators and European Parliament policy experts of the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) are very welcome: their recommendations must be addressed by the European Commission. SFDR needs…

Global regulators and standard setters are actively working to unravel the complexities of the ESG ‘alphabet soup’ while addressing the practical challenges related to the quality and credibility of sustainability data. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is collaborating with EU regulators to clarify how GRI Standards can serve as a foundation for sustainability reporting in the EU. The International Financial…