Now that the corporate banners declaring support for gender equality on International Women’s Day have come down, it is worth reflecting on what practical steps businesses need to take to ensure this commitment is enduring. Over the last century, there has been no shortage of women from whom younger generations can draw inspiration, from the … Read more
Some 746 financial institutions with $136trn in assets have written a letter to more than 15,000 companies around the world calling on them to disclose data on their environmental impact. In its annual call to companies, global non-profit CDP has rallied an additional 60-odd asset managers, asset owners, banks and insurers since last year to … Read more
Credit Suisse shareholders are being called to vote against the investment bank’s latest climate strategy, which has been described as “not fit for purpose”. The group published its Say on Climate plan this week setting out five additional emissions reductions targets for the power generation, commercial real estate, iron and steel, aluminium, and automotive sectors. … Read more
Robeco has launched the Robeco Sustainable Senior Loan Fund. The Rotterdam-based asset manager said the offering is one of the first funds to integrate sustainability into private debt investments. The fund has so far raised €130m including a significant sponsor commitment from ORIX Corporation Europe, Robeco’s parent company. It will continue to fundraise throughout 2023 … Read more
The majority of asset managers lack biodiversity voting and engagement policies, ShareAction has found, although European managers are leading the way. The financial services NGO has today published the second half of its annual Point of No Returns report, which looks at the responsible investment governance and stewardship practices of 77 of the world’s largest … Read more
Africa’s long-standing economic issues are well known. Despite having some of the fastest-growing economies in the world through much of the 2010s, the continent is still home to 23 of the globe’s 27 poorest countries. A lot of discussion around how to fix those issues has centred around moving the continent away from relying on … Read more
FTSE 350 companies are being asked to set a percentage target for senior management positions that will be occupied by ethnic minority executives by 2027. The Parker Review, the independent, business-led review of ethnic minority representation at UK companies supported by the government, has published its findings from its 2022 census and set new targets for companies. … Read more
Property and infrastructure investment advisory firm Gravis Capital Management has appointed David Barley as investment director focusing on the firm’s private markets net-zero strategies. Barley (pictured) was most recently director for the Sustainable Ocean Fund at Mirova UK and prior to that senior adviser to the Prince of Wales’ International Sustainability Unit’s work on energy, … Read more
The Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB) – the independent body that sets the GRI Standards – has appointed Carol Adams as chair. Adams (pictured), who is professor of accounting at Durham University Business School, takes over from Judy Kuszewski on 1 April following the completion of her final term in the role in which she … Read more
Aviva Investors has appointed Nick Molho as head of climate policy. In the newly created role, Molho will help steer the firm’s macro stewardship programme, with an emphasis on promoting the net-zero transition at a sectoral level, as well as helping to identify and advocate for specific government policies that would drive a ‘just transition’. … Read more