“The International Integrated Reporting Council has published its revised Integrated Reporting Framework, incorporating some major changes since the IR Framework was first published in 2013.” [COMMENTARY]Some form of standardization of corporate ESG and sustainability reporting continues to gain momentum. We’ll soon see even the US SEC on board!IIRC revises integrated reporting framework, by Michael Cohn,…

“Many investment professionals might read these and believe that launching a new ESG investment firm or ESG offering will be an automatic success. Our analysis of the data shows that this is far from the truth: Most of these efforts fail.” [COMMENTARY]This analysis suggests that starting a fund small, not quickly gaining significant assets, and…

“Yet over time, I’ve come to realize that the ESG investment industry is by and large little more than a marketing mechanism, and will not lead to productive change… In 2015-16, for instance, I noticed that one of the largest positions held by Generation Investment Management – co-founded by former U.S. vice-president Al Gore and…

“Public companies will be required to disclose climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions under President-elect Biden’s administration. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will institute rulemaking and guidance on the federal monitoring of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.” [COMMENTARY] What a 180-degree turn this will be for the SEC and many public companies! See…

“Public companies will be required to disclose climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions under President-elect Biden’s administration. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will institute rulemaking and guidance on the federal monitoring of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.” [COMMENTARY] What a 180-degree turn this will be for the SEC and many public companies! See…

“But does a higher ESG score for an investment product necessarily translate into doing more good?” [COMMENTARY] Though not specifically addressed in this article — though I concur with its thesis — is that the services or products of a company are often left out of ESG sustainable performance ratings. So a few tobacco companies…

“But does a higher ESG score for an investment product necessarily translate into doing more good?” [COMMENTARY] Though not specifically addressed in this article — though I concur with its thesis — is that the services or products of a company are often left out of ESG sustainable performance ratings. So a few tobacco companies…

“Reporting standards in the world of environmental, social and governance investing, long a thicket of competing frameworks, could converge within 12 to 24 months, said Janine Guillot, head of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board.” [COMMENTARY] I believe such news of convergence in standards would be almost universally welcomed.ESG Standards Convergence Could Happen in Next 12…

“Reporting standards in the world of environmental, social and governance investing, long a thicket of competing frameworks, could converge within 12 to 24 months, said Janine Guillot, head of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board.” [COMMENTARY] I believe such news of convergence in standards would be almost universally welcomed.ESG Standards Convergence Could Happen in Next 12…

“Eighty percent of companies now report on sustainability, compared with only 12 percent in 1993.” [COMMENTARY] This read provides a good appreciation of reasons for the growth and acceptance of sustainability reporting.Dramatic increase in sustainability reporting due to generational attitudes, ESG investing, by Kristen Beckman, December 9, 2020, Benefits Pro, USA.

“What is driving the shift to sustainable investing? This visual dashboard from Raconteur explains five key drivers, from generational shifts to investors’ preferred strategies.” [COMMENTARY] This is a useful read for advisors and brokers to understand and grow their client base.5 Drivers Behind the Sustainable Investing Shift, by Iman Ghosh, December 9, 2020, Visual Capitalist,…

“Eighty percent of companies now report on sustainability, compared with only 12 percent in 1993.” [COMMENTARY] This read provides a good appreciation of reasons for the growth and acceptance of sustainability reporting.Dramatic increase in sustainability reporting due to generational attitudes, ESG investing, by Kristen Beckman, December 9, 2020, Benefits Pro, USA.

“What is driving the shift to sustainable investing? This visual dashboard from Raconteur explains five key drivers, from generational shifts to investors’ preferred strategies.” [COMMENTARY] This is a useful read for advisors and brokers to understand and grow their client base.5 Drivers Behind the Sustainable Investing Shift, by Iman Ghosh, December 9, 2020, Visual Capitalist,…

That revolution is being led by the IFRS Foundation, the body that oversees the work of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in setting financial reporting requirements for most companies in the world, across more than 140 jurisdictions. (In the U.S., these requirements are set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB). This past…

That revolution is being led by the IFRS Foundation, the body that oversees the work of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in setting financial reporting requirements for most companies in the world, across more than 140 jurisdictions. (In the U.S., these requirements are set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB). This past…

“A new type of bond that penalizes issuers for failing to meet social and environmental goals is raising concern among some investors that buying the debt may not be all that ethical.” [COMMENTARY] These are early days for green bonds. No doubt there’ll be a lot of marketplace learning to be had. However, their future,…

“A new type of bond that penalizes issuers for failing to meet social and environmental goals is raising concern among some investors that buying the debt may not be all that ethical.” [COMMENTARY] These are early days for green bonds. No doubt there’ll be a lot of marketplace learning to be had. However, their future,…

“CFA Institute’ plan to create a global ESG standard has triggered concern among some US and European asset managers already juggling overlapping regulations and rising costs in a crowded space.” [COMMENTARY] These concerns are valid. It seems to me that perhaps the UN’s PRI should get involved with all the standards-setting organizations to coordinate the…

“CFA Institute’ plan to create a global ESG standard has triggered concern among some US and European asset managers already juggling overlapping regulations and rising costs in a crowded space.” [COMMENTARY] These concerns are valid. It seems to me that perhaps the UN’s PRI should get involved with all the standards-setting organizations to coordinate the…

“Some of the country’s largest asset managers, including Vanguard, Fidelity and American Century, received low marks in Morningstar’s first assessment of asset managers’ commitment to incorporating ESG factors in their investment processes and strategies. Others, like BlackRock, which has stressed sustainability as its ‘new standard for investing,’ and Pimco, received the second-to-lowest rating of ‘Basic.’”…