Forming a new climate finance goal, setting National Adaptation Plans by 2025 and supporting the next generation of Nationally Determined Contributions are among the aims for COP29, according to the conference president-designate, Mukhtar Babayev. During a speech at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, Babayev outlined his vision for COP29, set to take place in … Read more
Stewardship in China is improving even as regulators have not followed suit with other jurisdictions in Asia by introducing a formal code, according to Chris Liu, stewardship analyst at Allianz Global Investors. Liu cites a number of top-down reforms from regulators including the change introduced last year that reduces the number of independent directorships an … Read more
Some 93% of global food giants have been given the lowest ratings (‘E’ or ‘F’) based on their performance impact in the latest Business Benchmark on Animal Welfare (BBAW) report, with investors such as Aviva, Candriam and Robeco set to engage food companies over the findings. A ‘Performance Impact’ assessment analyses the tangible impact on … Read more
Investors are calling on governments to require companies to assess and disclose their nature-related risks and impacts, and also offer incentives to maximise mobilisation, in a bid to align financial flows with the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The latest paper from the Finance for Biodiversity Foundation (FfB Foundation) – Aligning Financial Flows with the Global Biodiversity … Read more
160 global financial institutions and two industry stakeholders have signed a statement calling on governments to negotiate an “ambitious treaty” to end plastic pollution ahead of negotiations taking place at the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-4) next week. Signatories representing $15.5trn in combined assets – including AXA Investment Managers, … Read more
Last year, research by ShareAction revealed just a quarter of the world’s 77 largest asset managers had made commitments on tackling deforestation. This alarming statistic speaks to the lack of urgency around tackling deforestation, with investors contributing to climate change and significant biodiversity loss. Investors, therefore, must commit to further action to progress towards deforestation-free targets, urged Dr. Carter … Read more
The complexities of sustainable finance advice have been reported far and wide but concerns are rising around how social media platforms, such as TikTok, are misinforming younger generations – and investment professionals are being urged to step in. Last year, a 1,000-person survey conducted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found 44% of ‘Gen Z’ – those … Read more
Nordea Asset Management has folded its Nordea 1 – Global Social Bond fund due to “the size of the AUM and muted demand for the single-themed strategy.” Launched in December 2022, the Article 9 strategy was designed to “address the ‘S’ in ESG”, investing 70% of total assets in social bonds focused on sustainability objectives … Read more
There is alpha to be found in investing in the companies which act as the “picks and shovels” to sustainability. This is according to Sujaya Desai, a portfolio manager at Stewart Investors, who said that companies behind the scenes of sustainability themes often exhibit quality growth characteristics. “One of the phrases we use to describe … Read more
Robeco has renamed its multi-asset funds to increase flexibility and to better emphasise the products’ heightened focus on sustainability. The Multi-Asset Income fund is now the Sustainable Income Allocation fund; the Multi-Asset Sustainable fund is now the Sustainable Diversified Allocation fund; and the Multi-Asset Growth fund is now the Sustainable Dynamic Allocation fund. The three funds – recently assigned … Read more