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The move towards net zero is one of the major tailwinds for listed infrastructure, according to Shane Hurst, portfolio manager at ClearBridge Investments. The firm estimates that to even get close to net zero by 2030, power spending needs to increase from about US$0.8trn to US$2.5trn per year. “Specifically, spending on wind and solar needs … Read more

ESG Clarity has put together an esteemed panel of judges for the ESG Clarity Awards 2023. The panel has been assessing the fund shortlists and reading the submissions for the various awards before deliberating on their winners. The full panel of judges is listed below and the award winners will be announced in October. We … Read more

In this summer series for ESG Clarity, members of the sustainable investment industry tell us how their thinking on this fast-moving industry has adapted over the years and what changes that has led to. Here, David Smith, senior investment director, Asian equities, and co-manager of the Asian SDG equity strategy at abrdn, discusses inefficiencies in ESG, house … Read more

One in four (24%) European wealth managers spend 40 minutes or less to establish the ESG preferences of new investment clients, despite agreeing that this is one of the most important tasks, according to a study from behavioural finance firm Oxford Risk. Including wealth managers from across France, Germany, the Nordics and other European countries, … Read more

The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) has welcomed the US Treasury’s best practice guidelines for financial institutions on how to reach net zero, saying that a consistent approach to transition finance is “crucial” to accelerate the industry’s efforts to decarbonize. Earlier this week, the Treasury published the Principles for Net-Zero Financing & Investment, which sets … Read more

Funds incorporating ESG factors are subject to enhanced disclosure requirements, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced. In the latest amendments to the Investment Company Act ‘names rule’ the regulator has incorporated ESG funds into its ‘names rule’, meaning 80% of their investments must contain that thematic focus. “As the fund industry has developed … Read more

Aviva Investors has completed its ESG senior management team with the appointment of Louise Piffaut as head of ESG, liquid markets. Previously head of ESG integration for equities, Piffaut will now oversee the firm’s approach to stewardship, including its voting and engagement activities, as well as continuing to look at ESG integration. “We’re really pleased … Read more

The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) is asking for feedback on its transition strategies for financial institutions, in an attempt to apply “more rigor” to how the transition is financed and how investments are decarbonised. Last year, GFANZ set out four strategies it deemed necessary for financing a whole economy transition to net … Read more

In this series for ESG Clarity Asia, Morningstar dives into ESG funds available in Asia, analysing their investments, performance and ESG credentials. For this latest article, Morningstar manager research analyst Steven Le takes a look at Fidelity’s Sustainable Emerging Markets Equity Fund. Fidelity Sustainable Emerging Markets is a reasonable investment offering that has some appealing attributes, but … Read more

The sustainable investment community has expressed worry and frustration that UK prime minister Rishi Sunak’s plans to delay or relax net-zero policies will undermine business and investor confidence in the country, and set it behind green policies being accelerated in markets such as the US and EU. Sunak today announced sweeping changes to the UK’s … Read more