Very little time left to make the necessary changes
I’m sure that by now, you’ve read about or at least heard of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) first installment of its sixth assessment report, which was published this week (the rest will be completed in 2022). For those unfamiliar with it, the IPCC is the UN’s body dedicated to assessing the science […]
Do positive ESG news cause positive market reactions?
This week I want to highlight an academic paper written by George Serafeim (from Harvard Business School) and Aaron Yoon (from Kellogg at Northwestern University) on whether positive ESG news cause positive market reactions. This line sums the paper’s conclusions up quite well: “Investors differentiate in their reactions based on whether the news is likely to affect […]
The world of ESG tech
If investing with an SDG focus is so relevant, how can investors do it? Blackrock suggests the following…
Integrating SDGs into the investment process
If investing with an SDG focus is so relevant, how can investors do it? Blackrock suggests the following…
The basics on carbon offsets
This week I want to talk about carbon offsets. What are they? Are they good? Are they enough? What are carbon offsets? Broadly speaking, carbon offsets are a way to take responsibility of your GHG emissions. Ideally, organizations should focus first on reducing emissions, but those emissions that cannot be reduced (given the nature of […]
Best practices for sustainability reporting according to NYSE
This week I want to share and comment on the best practices for sustainability reporting according to NYSE. NYSE proposes an 8 steps process for sustainability reporting (and the key ideas we identify under each step) are: Identifying the right approach for the company: “Before a company can begin to think about reporting on its ESG […]
The future of corporate governance (according to the OECD)
This week the OECD published a report called The Future of Corporate Governance in Capital Markets Following the COVID-19 Crisis. We think it has very interesting insights and data that can help think about things that might change in coming years for a variety of reasons, including the pandemic. See what we think are the 10 key […]
Are Boards of Directors prepared for ESG integration?
This week I want to discuss a topic that I think is fundamental for companies to keep advancing their ESG journey in the future: are Boards of Directors prepared for ESG integration? A study from NYU’s Center for Sustainable Business at Stern published earlier this year argues that many boards are not prepared to face the ESG […]
ESG Integration in quant strategies
This week I want to talk about integrating ESG factors into quant strategies. Historically ESG integration was limited to fundamental (traditional) investing strategies. However, as ESG disclosure has increased and improved, funds with quantitative strategies have begun to look at ESG data too. In a nutshell, quant strategies use mathematical models and rules to define […]
Transitioning towards cleaner energy
This week we are sharing our notes from an S&P webinar on the implications of a transition towards cleaner energy. Strategic Planning for Energy Transition The electric sector accounts for 30% of the US’s carbon emissions, transportation for 35-40%. Decarbonizing the electric grid is a priority because it will be the starting point for the […]