All ESG/SRI articles – Page 49
-
White papersMiFID II and ESG preferences: A paradigm change in Europe?
The revision of the European Union’s MiFID II directive taking effect this August and requiring investment firms to assess clients’ sustainability preferences sets a regulatory priority that will impact asset management professionals in 2022 and beyond.
-
PodcastPrivate equity has put sustainability firmly in its sights
Many believe that private equity (PE) is particularly well placed to embrace ESG and sustainability given the scale and scope of the industry’s investments and the benefits of a direct ownership model. Together with various initiatives aimed at establishing common standards for ESG integration, PE is sharpening its focus on climate-change resilience across portfolio companies in particular. While this inherently bodes well for other stakeholders like lenders, there is still a role for engagement with borrowers to ensure they demonstrate progress.
-
White papersSaving the world doesn’t have to cost the Earth: ESG positioning for new builds, as well as existing assets
Sustainable returns are well within reach. But we must act with haste by not only looking at new builds, but also at the possibilities that existing assets hold for ESG repositioning, as it will prove very difficult to manage a real estate portfolio on failing foundations.
-
White papersMIPIM 2022 – Making an impact
At this year’s MIPIM conference, environmental, social and governance issues were at the forefront of discussions with driving urban change being the main theme. The insights in this collection of articles, gleaned from our research and the conference, highlight how real estate investors can make a difference and how we can create positive, impactful outcomes.
-
Research ReportShould investors diversify their portfolios with green bonds?
As calls for action to mitigate global warming grow more urgent, the importance of ESG bond markets as a potential source of climate capital has grown substantially in recent years. Yet for the market to evolve into a strategic asset class, investors need to be convinced that it represents a viable alternative to conventional bonds.
-
Research ReportWhy demand for ESG bonds is increasing among emerging market investors?
ESG integration in emerging market bonds has accelerated in 2021. At around USD 300 billion, ESG-labelled bonds represent 1 per cent of the market (vs 1.5 per cent for developed markets). Since the end of 2012, over half of ESG-labelled emerging market bonds have been issued by Chinese sovereign and corporate borrowers. Issuers from Chile, India, and Brazil are also well represented.
-
Research ReportThe ESG bond market is on the verge of reaching new heights
With environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues dominating the international policy agenda — and as investor demand for new ESG financial products and services continues to grow — global debt markets, and by extension fixed income portfolios, are about to undergo a radical transformation. The ESG debt universe is expanding rapidly, not only in size but also in terms of the variety of instruments it contains and the range of activities it finances.
-
White papersTransitioning to Net-Zero in Credit Portfolios
From defining and setting interim targets from day one, to the critical role of bondholder engagement, we reflect on the process of putting together a major net-zero credit portfolio.
-
White papersAdopt a Gold Standard for Your Sustainable Investments
From escalating climate threats to growing social challenges, the impetus for creating a more sustainable world has become impossible to ignore. But we can’t rely on governments and philanthropy to solve the problems. Investors have an important role to play by supporting private sector efforts to address the issues that will redefine life on earth for decades to come.
-
White papersHow can a social taxonomy work as a platform for better social impact?
Developing taxonomies to create guidance for businesses and investors working towards more environmental and social sustainability has been a key part of the European Commission’s action plan. A social taxonomy, however, functions with different parameters than an environmental one, as Malika Takhtayeva, Delphine Riou and Xuan Sheng Ou Yong explain.
-
White papersSDG Engagement High Yield Credit: 2021 Annual Report
Our 2021 Annual Report outlines how the SDG Engagement High Yield Credit strategy delivered on its colinear objectives: strong financial performance for investors, and future, positive social and environmental impact contributing to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
-
White papersHow institutional investors can make a social impact in portfolios
The momentum around net zero investing has helped focus the minds of institutional investors on ways to tackle climate change and how to respond to the changing policy landscape. This has led to fundamental change in how pension funds and insurers view their portfolios over the longer term – leading to the steady integration of environmental risks and opportunities.
-
PodcastUnderstanding Short Duration for the Long Run
As investors continue to seek out hedges against inflation, many may look to equities—but what about the global bond market? Short duration fixed income, particularly High Yield, typically suits an environment of slowing growth and rising rates.
-
White papersThe demise of ESG is much exaggerated
Far from being a casualty of the war in Ukraine, ESG investing is the key to security in energy, food and commodities, says Eoin Murray, Head of Investment, Federated Hermes
-
White papersPrivate Equity Real Estate Investors - Overcoming the Challenge of Sustainability & ESG: Pro-invest Group’s ESG Journey
This case study was written by Claudia Zeisberger, Senior Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise and Academic Director of GEl, and Alexandra von Stauffenberg, Associate Director of the Global Private Equity Initiative (GPEI), both at INSEAD. It is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation.
-
White papersPowering the SiC revolution
Silicon carbide compound semiconductor technology is enabling better energy efficiency for electric vehicles manufacturers. What opportunities could this bring?
-
White papersESG Materiality Newsletter, Q1 2022
In this edition of our ESG Materiality Newsletter, we provide an overview of our engagement activities, as well as case studies demonstrating the progress we have made with portfolio companies. We also delve into an environmental, social and governance (ESG) theme, and its implications for the Emerging Markets asset class.
-
White papersMulti-Period Portfolio Optimization and Application to Portfolio Decarbonization
In this article, we consider a multi-period portfolio optimization problem, which is an extension of the single-period mean-variance model. We discuss several formulations of the objective function, constraints and coupling relationships.
-
White papersSDG Engagement Equity: 2021 Annual Report
The philosophy of the SDG Equity Engagement Fund is that we can all do well by doing good. Progress towards, and the attainment of, the UN SDGs is not a zero-sum game; rather, it represents an opportunity to create shareholder value.
-
White papersFederated Hermes Sustainable European Equities
In our first Sustainability Report we outline how a combination of bottom-up stock picking and thematic research helps us identify companies built on strong foundations: purposeful, resilient, and innovative, and aligned to at least one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
