After last week’s wave of optimism, we turn a more critical eye to the world this week. We offer you a long-read with stories of deception and fraud, a cautionary tale for impact investors. In a world paved with good intentions, scammers are never too far. Professional investors and service providers within sustainability should do their best to keep their ranks clear of malevolent individuals, we conclude.
In a survey of the asset management industry conducted by Finncap about how corporate profitability is affected by the pandemic, concerns are emerging that companies are prioritising directors over workers in their responses to the crisis. Will sustainable investors take notice?
Onto more positive news, ESG indices were the fastest growing market segment in 2019, evidence of the rising interest for more sustainable alternatives. Elsewhere, Wellington Management will partner with Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan to integrate climate science research into the pension plan’s investments, drawing on the scientific expertise of the Woods Hole Research Center.
We also found out that Robeco recently launched a new green bond fund, one of the first bond funds that formally seeks to invest in a manner consistent with the EU’s green bond standard, among other features. And according to a new study published by the Climate Bonds Initiative, 70% of Treasurers reported that the demand for their green bond was higher than for vanilla equivalents.
Photo by @Mehaniq via Twenty20
