“Dropping the term ‘ESG’ doesn’t change the underlying pressures. Regulation may be in flux—the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)…Continue readingWhat The ESG Backlash Reveals—and What Comes Next

“Total anti-DEI proposals submitted for the 2025 proxy season have surpassed pro-DEI proposals.” [COMMENTARY] Though anti-DEI proposals have increased substantially,…Continue readingHow DEI Shareholder Proposals Are Faring in 2025

“The research, published in Journal of Applied Accounting Research, examined the financial risks associated with climate change regulations, such as the European Green…Continue readingCompanies with high greenhouse gas emissions more likely to manipulate finances

“Priorities for 2025 include executive pay, shareholder rights, climate transition and human capital management.” [COMMENTARY] The findings in this report…Continue readingGlobal Institutional Investor Survey 2024 Report

“Natural capital—which includes farmlands, timberlands, and other environmental investments—has the ability to not only produce strong, risk-reward profiles for a…Continue readingInvesting in Nature: How Natural Capital Delivers Strong, Stable Returns

“Many financial institutions will this year make their first transition plan disclosures in line with the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability…Continue readingRFI Foundation: What banks are (and are not) disclosing in their transition plans

“Our main findings reveal that the efficient market hypothesis does not hold, ESG ratings are the main drivers of abnormal…Continue readingStock market reaction to COVID-19 outbreak: evidence from ESG firms in emerging economies

“A divest-and-exclude approach toward carbon-intensive companies and industries may be overly focused on mitigating perceived risk in the shorter term…Continue readingConsiderations Around Fossil Fuel Divestment for Endowments and Foundations

“Its 2025 ESG and Sustainable Barometer report analyses over 9,500 investment strategies managed by more than 460 asset managers. It evaluates…Continue readingReports Says Too Many ESG Funds Are Greenwashing And Misleading

“The survey found that two thirds of executives reported that sustainability is “very important” to their companies’ commercial success, up…Continue readingHalf of Execs Report Higher Sales, Lower Costs from Sustainability Initiatives: Survey

“On February 11, 2025, the staff of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance issued updated and new guidance regarding the eligibility…Continue readingPrepare for Changes to the Shareholder Engagement Process

“Retail investors rely heavily on green labels, but checking environmental claims is out of reach for most.” [COMMENTARY] If you…Continue readingThe ‘green label effect‘ for green bonds is real

“The Clean200 are the largest 200 public companies ranked by clean revenue. The ranking was first calculated on July 1,…Continue reading2025 Clean 200 by Corporate Knights

“In addition, 92% of 500 CFOs surveyed said they expect their organizations will significantly increase net investment in sustainability in…Continue reading70% of CFOs believe sustainability investments will return more than traditional outlays

“It’s clear from some SEC commissioners’ recent remarks that they aim to leave behind the era of the shareholder meeting as…Continue readingChanges in SEC Guidance on Investor Engagement Present a New Challenge to Shareholders

“Vitalis, in collaboration with Dr. Olaf Weber and Dr. Vasundhara Saravade from the Faculty of Environment, discovered that investors are…Continue readingInvestors more likely to opt for green labels over financial returns, fueling greenwashing concerns

“JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs – along with retailer Costco – have set the stage for corporations to push back on…Continue readingThe anti-DEI movement confronts an unlikely opponent: big banks

“Many asset managers have stopped offering funds supporting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals in the face of political backlash.…Continue readingESG Investing Isn’t as Divisive as We Think

“In conclusion, the study shows that the anti-ESG proponents are increasing their voice through a higher volume of shareholder proposals in…Continue readingAnti-ESG Proposals Have Increased in Volume, but Fare Poorly

“We document four facts. First, investors generally expected ESG investments to underperform the market. Between mid-2021 and late-2023, the average…Continue readingFour facts about ESG beliefs and investor portfolios