Only ten days into the new year and news abound, many positive but one particularly tragic. While we mourn the death of the billions of Australian animals and the 23 people who died in the recent bush fires, NordSIP summarized the causes and consequences of the catastrophe.
Just before his brother shook up the world with a groundbreaking announcement, Prince William unveiled the EarthShot Prize to be awarded by the UK’s Royal Foundation every year to visionary projects addressing environmental challenges. Meanwhile, responding to the increased pressure to take action against climate change, BlackRock has become the latest asset manager to join the Climate Action 100+ initiative.
Betting on a market that grew already fast in 2019, HSBC Global Asset Management announced the launch of eight ESG-focused ETFs during the first six months of 2020. Also surfing on the ESG trend, FTSE Russell expanded the coverage of its Asian-Pacific ESG ratings to a total of 4,300 securities and MSCI launched two new Fixed Income ESG indices.
Amidst this growth spurt, the ability to attract talent and top executives is crucial. Lombard Odier IM poached three managers from Robeco to strengthen its thematic equities team. They will invest in companies “selected for their ability to provide solutions and tools addressing some of the most acute problems facing our world“. Arabesque S-Ray also succeeded in recruiting State Street Global Advisors‘ Head of ESG research and development as well as a new CTO to support its ambitious growth plans.
We have been busy at NordSIP also, making it easier for our readers to find relevant research and useful resources. Check out our new insights & reports library! If you haven’t seen it yet, don’t miss the exciting report we published ahead of the holidays: our Handbook on Sustainable Fixed Income 2019.
Happy readings!
Image by sippakorn yamkasikorn from Pixabay