Fund in focus: Will Invesco’s sustainable pivot pay off?

In this series for ESG Clarity Asia, Morningstar dives into ESG funds available in Asia, analysing their investments, performance and ESG credentials. For this second article, Morningstar’s Ronald Van Genderen takes a look at the Invesco Sustainable Pan European Structured Equity fund. Invesco Sustainable Pan European Structured Equity was repurposed to a sustainable strategy in 2021, … Read more

Applying science-based targets to finance firms

Since it launched in 2015, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has been a guiding light for companies looking to reduce their emissions in a way that is aligned with climate science. The SBTi is a partnership between the Carbon Disclosure Project, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund … Read more

Downing expands renewables asset management team

Downing has appointed Magnus Hopstadius as portfolio director within its infrastructure asset management team.  Hopstadius has been recruited to enhance the long-term performance of Downing’s renewable energy assets. This includes maximising returns, ensuring proper health and safety procedures are in place, capital expenditure investments, and running optimisation projects. Hopstadius joins from independent renewable energy company … Read more

Why does ESG matter when raising funds?

If it seems to you that the general question of “why does ESG matter?” is repeatedly asked, then that is a good indicator of its increasing prominence across the alternative assets industry. This is, of course, in conjunction with countless topics that can be included under the ESG umbrella depending on who you are engaging … Read more

Green Dream with Rathbones’ multi-asset team: What clients need to understand about ESG performance

In this Green Dream video interview, Will McIntosh-Whyte, fund manager of the Rathbone Greenbank multi-asset portfolios, and Rahab Paracha, sustainable multi-asset specialist, discuss ESG performance, style biases and greener buildings. The pair said there may have been some performance chasing in 2021 leading to overvaluations, so they have taken some time to make sure clients understood that … Read more

‘On the naughty step’: Implications of SDR and Consumer Duty for advisers

UK advisers are grappling with two upcoming regulatory requirements this year – Consumer Duty and the Sustainability Disclosure requirements (SDR) – and asset managers are also struggling with how to help them amid soaring administration and costs, and a lack of clarity. In a webinar hosted by Square Mile Investment Research and Consulting this week, … Read more

Triple Point IM achieves B Corp certification

Triple Point Investment Management has achieved B Corporation certification, verifying that it meets a high standard of social and environmental impact. The asset manager reached the accreditation with a score of 97.6 out of 100. Triple Point began the process in 2020 and was verified as a certified B Corp by B Lab in December … Read more

Firms need to be prepared to roll up their sleeves this year

The new year is still in its nascent stage, but already firms have had a full agenda when it comes to regulation on sustainable investment. On 1 January, the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) Level 2 rules went live, strengthening the reporting requirements for sustainable and ESG-labelled financial products. This has already resulted in … Read more

Packaging puzzles: Plastic pollutes but can also reduce food waste

Plastic packaging plays a significant role in conserving perishable goods and extending the shelf life of fresh produce. But at the same time it intensifies the issue of plastic pollution, as progress in reducing plastic waste is mostly driven by recycling rather than the banning of single-use plastic. Although the issue of single-use plastic packaging … Read more