ESG & Sustainability

US and Asian stocks fell in February, as better-than-expected economic reports in the US signaled the Federal Reserve has room to continue raising interest rates. European shares climbed when measured in euros.

Stocks jumped in January as expectations built up that inflation worldwide may have peaked and that any recession in key developed economies may be mild.

The Sustainable Development Investments Asset Owner Platform (SDI AOP) helps investors assess companies’ contributions to sustainability themes using the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The asset owner-led effort provides a robust SDG-alignment framework and data, and is already used worldwide by investors for implementation and tracking of sustainability strategies, and engagement with multiple stakeholders.

At an IPE webinar last month, experts from WTW and Qontigo explained how the STOXX Willis Towers Watson Climate Transition Indices (CTIs) can help investors manage climate transition risk on a forward-looking basis. The audience also heard how this can be achieved without increasing a portfolio’s overall risk.

Stocks declined in December, wrapping the STOXX® Global 1800 index’s worst year since 2008, as investor concerns lingered about the impact of inflation and higher interest rates on economic and earnings growth.

SFDR Level 2 standards come into effect in 2023. Antonio Celeste and Saumya Mehrotra from Qontigo’s Sustainability Product Management team look into the concept of ‘Sustainable Investment’ and discuss how to measure and approach such investments.

Following a push from local authorities and significant evolution in ESG data disclosure, investors can now access reliable corporate information and invest in Chinese companies leading in sustainability.

This month’s UN COP15 biodiversity summit will accelerate the discussion around nature loss and advance the notion that mismanagement of investment portfolios’ biodiversity impact entails risks. On a positive note, innovation in datasets now allow the integration of biodiversity metrics in investment strategies and indices, opening the possibility of similar progress in this field as has occurred in recent years with climate action.

The new SDI Innovation Outlook dataset from the Sustainable Development Investments Asset Owner Platform (SDI AOP) helps investors anticipate companies’ future contributions to the SDGs based on patenting of intellectual property.

Changes were announced as part of the December regular review of the DAX 50 ESG, DAX ESG Target, DAX ESG Screened and DAX indices.

The STOXX® Global 1800 index rose for a second straight month in November as investors raised expectations that higher interest rates are helping temper inflation.

The Sustainable Development Investments Asset Owner Platform (SDI AOP) and Qontigo, its exclusive distribution partner, have announced the launch of the SDI Innovation Outlook. The new dataset provides forward looking information, by analyzing the alignment of companies’ patent portfolios with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.