News

MSCI's HSBC upgrade raises NGO eyebrows

An environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings upgrade for HSBC, despite its significant exposure to fossil fuels, has reignited a discussion about the subjective nature of ESG ratings.

People Moves 14 May 2021: SMBC, NTAM, SEB, Credit Suisse, L&G, ISS ESG and more

SFDR Article 9 fund managers 'should consider signing impact principles'

Fund managers who want to demonstrate their alignment with Article 9 of the EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) should consider signing up to a set of impact investing principles, according to the CEO of 'impact verification' company BlueMark.

COP26 president urges end of coal at 'last hope' summit for Paris goals

The incoming president of the UN COP26 climate summit in November said the meeting is the "last hope" of keeping the goals of the Paris Agreement alive, adding the summit should also "consign coal to history".

Impact principles signatories failing to measure outcomes, study finds

Only 17 from a group of 30 impact investors can show that they routinely compare the actual outcomes of investments with their intended environmental and social impact, according to a study by BlueMark.

ExxonMobil faces mounting investor pressure on climate action

US oil major ExxonMobil is facing growing pressure from major investors over its response to climate change ahead of its annual general meeting later this month, including from Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) and the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

News round-up: Phoenix, Northern Trust, biodiversity and Canada

Green and sustainability-linked loan round-up: Noreco, Symrise, Sucafina, Canary Wharf ... and more

'Inadequate impact measurement tools' lead Federated Hermes to develop own database

A perceived lack of suitable tools for measuring social and environmental impact has led Federated Hermes to develop its own 'impact database' to inform its listed equities strategy.

Setting science-based target for Total bond plan 'not easy', Pouyanné says

The boss of French oil major Total said the company is working hard to find a Paris Agreement-aligned target for its sustainability-linked bonds, but that the process is "not easy" because of the politics inherent in climate scenarios and the "religious" approach adopted by NGOs.