NGOs

Focal points

• "The Responsible Business Performance Report includes our performance across our six environmental, social and governance priority areas, and includes ESG data for current and previous years."
• "We've identified six areas of responsible business that matter most to us: access; global health and health security; environment; inclusion; ethical standards and product governance"

Parameters

• Publication date: March 2025
• Data to: 31/12/24
• Materiality assessment: Link (2022)
• Data centre: Not found

Key points

• Nature is among the most frequently discussed sustainability topics, and this year the expected evolution and emergence of standards and targets in this area will start to put some structure around nature-related topics.
• We expect there to be further conversations around the risks and opportunities associated with artificial intelligence (AI), particularly from an environmental standpoint.
• Significant changes in terms of regulation as well as geopolitics are expected to start to take shape this year.

Sustainability-related funds continued to represent the majority of European fund assets (around EUR 8 trillion out of EUR 14 trillion). Equity and bond funds accounted for over 80% of assets, with global equity strategies particularly popular among SFDR article 8 and 9 funds.

In this paper, we assess how European-based funds have performed under key regulatory disclosure regimes and provide insights into their sustainability characteristics, including article 8 and 9 funds under the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. We examine to what extent reported fund data has improved under the EU Taxonomy, following the first year of corporate disclosures in 2023, and the level of taxonomy-alignment across the European funds’ universe. We also evaluate the European Securities and Markets Authority’s new fund-naming guidance in Europe alongside the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements in the U.K. and discuss recent opinions from regulatory bodies such as the European Supervisory Authorities.

Global sustainable open-end and exchange-traded funds saw their highest quarterly inflows in Q4 2024, reaching USD 16 billion, up from USD 9.2 billion in Q3. Despite this, annual inflows halved, contrasting with a booming market.

This quarterly report examines open-end funds and ETFs focused on impact, sustainability, or environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risk factors. This edition of the Global Sustainable Fund Flows report specifically covers recent activity in the global sustainable fund universe and details regional flows, assets, and launches for the fourth quarter of 2024.

Sustainable funds hit a record AUM of $3.56 trillion but posted a median return of 0.4%, compared to traditional funds’ 1.7%.
 
Key Takeaways

• Sustainable funds underperformed traditional funds in the second half of 2024 for the first time since the first half of 2022.
• However, assets under management (AUM) in sustainable funds grew to a new high of $3.56 trillion as of December 31, 2024.
• This was due to a slight recovery in flows during the last six months of the year, with net inflows of $30.6 billion in the second half of 2024, following a weak second quarter.

Janus Henderson: Data is (still) the “new oil” 

Key takeaways:

• Data, like oil in the past, now drives technological progress and advancements, while its lower transfer and storage costs makes it a unique and increasingly valuable resource in the digital age.
• This transformation underscores a change in how value and utility are perceived in the modern economy, with data fuelling innovations such as AI and machine learning, which require vast, reliable data sets for algorithm training and efficiency improvements.
• In an AI-driven future, companies that own extensive, proprietary data sets are at a strategic advantage, enabling breakthroughs in fields like medical diagnostics and granting them significant pricing power.

Janus Henderson: Responsible investing unpacked: The climate-nature nexus 

Key takeaways:

• Global responsibility reporting standards aim to provide structured and unified frameworks for companies to disclose climate-related and nature-related financial risks.
• This standardised approach aids investors in assessing and comparing the financially material risks and opportunities facing companies, enabling more informed investment decisions.
• The widespread acceptance and incorporation of responsibility reporting standards into the legal and regulatory frameworks across numerous jurisdictions signals a strong global commitment to improving corporate and investor understanding in these areas.

Brazil’s 2022 National Fertiliser Plan lacks clear targets for reducing synthetic fertiliser use and fails to outline a transition to a sustainable, regenerative agribusiness sector. Brazil’s environmental wealth depends on its environmental health, which is threatened by the GHG emissions and pollution caused by the overuse of synthetic fertilisers.

Planet Tracker estimates that synthetic fertiliser use in Brazil emits a total of 79 Mt CO₂e – 83 Mt CO₂e each year, equivalent to 7% of national emissions in 2021. Fertiliser run-off from farmland is a major cause of eutrophication, causing algal blooms and which can destroy freshwater and marine ecosystems. It also causes nitrous oxide air pollution, leading to acid rain and smog, impacting human and ecosystem health.

International Airlines Group is determined to be a world-leading airline group on sustainability and driving the system-wide change required to create a truly sustainable aviation industry.  The company has committed to net zero emissions and publishes its roadmap to this goal every year IAG Flightpath net zero.

InterAxS and SRI-Connect are pleased to host a meeting with Head of Sustainability at International Airlines Group (IAG) on 20 May.  This is the first opportunity for analysts from ESG ratings firms, credit ratings agencies and independent sustainable investment research providers to have an informative discussion with IAG's senior sustainability executives on the key sustainability challenges the company faces today, and in the future.

Details:

• Format: Virtual webinar
• Date: Tuesday 20 May
• Time: 15.00 – 16.00 UK
• Location: Virtual meeting via Zoom

Agenda:

The company will present for c. 30 minutes and take questions from analysts for c. 30 minutes.

Company participants:

• Jonathon Counsell, Global Sustainability Director
• Stuart Morgan, Head of Investor Relations

RSVP...

... using the form below.

{flexicontactplus attend_iag}

In the last quarter, geopolitical uncertainty has intensified. The populist push-back to sustainability agendas has gained momentum, while regulatory support for sustainable investing is being rolled back in both the US and EU.

Navigating these complexities is increasingly difficult for both companies and investors, reinforcing the importance of effective stewardship. But with this challenge comes an opportunity for investors to reassess what makes engagement truly effective.

Donald Trump was elected President of the United States for a second time on the fifth of November last year, although it seems like years ago now. Shortly after, we wrote about what it would mean for sustainable investors; you can read that here. We also talked about the implications in our fourth quarter 2024 webinar update, shortly after his inauguration. 

It’s unusual for us to be revisiting the topic two months later, in this quarterly review. We tend to think in much longer cycles, and our investment horizon is best measured in years rather than weeks. But we are back on “Trump time”, where events seem to fly by at unnatural speed. Moreover, this new administration has really hit the ground running, and moved further and faster than pretty much anyone truly expected.

So we’ll try to recap some of the key highlights and lowlights here, and what they mean for sustainability, and our strategy. 

For decades, they’ve been hiding in plain sight - coating your rain jacket, lining your popcorn bag, even woven into dental floss. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have quietly worked their way into nearly every part of our lives. But the tide is turning.

With growing awareness of the health and environmental risks, the world is waking up to the urgent need for change. And across the globe, companies are stepping up with the tools and technologies to make that change possible.

At our firm’s book club, we are reading Ravenous – a fascinating deep dive into the complexities of food production and its impact on society. The book explores how modern agriculture has achieved incredible productivity while also highlighting the fragility of our food systems, which are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, supply chain disruptions, and unsustainable farming practices.

Food insecurity is one of the most pressing global challenges today. One in eleven people worldwide goes to bed hungry every night, and a staggering 29% of the global population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023.

There is no single cause of food insecurity. Rather, it stems from a web of interconnected factors, including conflict, climate change, poverty, the loss of farmland, food waste, and the lingering economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the world is significantly behind in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 – Zero Hunger by 2030, making it imperative to find more sustainable solutions.

In recent decades, institutional investors have been granted more rights and responsibilities toward listed companies, with the aim of being better able to hold their investee companies to account. Yet, in the last few years, the influence of institutional investors seems to be increasingly under threat.

Summary

• Recent trends pose threats to shareholder rights and responsibilities
• Exercising shareholder rights is an important part of (sustainable) investing
• Investors should be able to speak to companies on any issues they see fit

Engie, a French energy company, will submit its climate plan to a vote by its shareholders at its annual general meeting on April 24

The FIR and ADEME, in association with the Ethos Foundation and the World Benchmarking Alliance, have carried out an analysis to read its climate plan.

In terms of transparency and the level of ambition of its climate strategy, Engie's level is good:

• 70% alignment with FIR recommendations
• A performance score of 58% in ACT assessments

Two major areas for improvement are worth highlighting: 

• Although Engie has announced targets accompanied by a detailed action plan for each action up to 2030, this contribution could be more detailed after 2030 and include, in particular, the planned reduction in fossil gas production and sales
• On CAPEX, the company does disclose its taxonomic alignment for 2025-2027, but the level of alignment is significantly different depending on whether or not maintenance CAPEX is included

Prime Directive Analytics: Beyond Disclosure - How Shareholders and Executives Are Reshaping Corporate Political Spending

Corporate political spending just hit new records, and shareholders aren’t settling for mere transparency anymore—many want real, measurable reductions.  In my latest blog post, I examine how executive donations and employee contributions at companies are reshaping the conversation around corporate influence.  Plus, I spotlight how data-driven tools from Prime Directive Analytics can help investors hold companies accountable. Check it out to see why this shift matters for business, democracy, and your portfolio.

==

Corporate political spending is under a microscope like never before. With investor coalitions demanding more transparency and the public eye on record-breaking contributions, companies are facing mounting pressure to disclose their political activities—and even curb them. In fact, in the 2024 election cycle, political action committees raised over $12.3 billion and spent nearly $11 billion, setting a new record according to FEC.gov.

Increasing Shareholder Action

Over the past two weeks, corporate political spending has once again captured the spotlight. High-profile shareholder proposals at major companies, record-breaking spending on down-ballot elections, and ...

Robeco: Japan's Green Transformation Plan to boost smart energy investments 

Japan’s Green Transformation (GX) Plan is a bold new strategy aimed at transitioning the world’s fourth largest economy away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energy sources. Equally ambitious financing should catalyze investments across diverse smart energy solutions, from renewables and smart grids to smart cars and energy-saving equipment.

Summary 

• Plan aims to both energize and decarbonize Japan’s economy
• The near 1 trillion-euro investment rivals the US IRA in size and ambition
• Substantial tailwinds expected for smart energy solutions in Asia and Japan 

The Chocolate Scorecard ranks and grades chocolate companies on key sustainability issues. The Chocolate Scorecard is coordinated by Be Slavery Free, with Universities, consultants, and civil society groups engaging in transforming the chocolate industry.

First Sentier MUFG-SI: Climate Risk & Adaptation in Global Food

1. The purpose of this report is to highlight the major climate change and extreme weather impacts on global food supply chains through to 2050 and propose actions which businesses and investors can take to support food security, food system resilience, and commercial returns.

2. The world is on track for 2.5 degrees global warming by 2050 at the rate of current policies and climate action, with an expected deficit of 15-20 GT CO2e according to Baringa’s modelling. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has confirmed positive correlations between increased emissions and increased occurrence of extreme weather hazards. This means that both direct and indirect investors across globally integrated supply chains like food will continue to face exponentially increasing climate risks and extreme weather hazards over the next several decades....

OMFIF: Gender Balance Index 2025

... contains:

• 1: Central Banks - Inflection point
• 2: Commercial Banks - Reinforcing the pipeline
• 3: Pension Funds - A pause in progress
• 4: Sovereign Funds: Emerging markets make their mark
• ... and types of roles, databank & methodology

Investors realize that nature loss represents systemic risks for investment portfolios but find it difficult to measure and mitigate. That is the main message from our conversations with asset owners in the past year, including a roundtable held with five investors and the World Wide Fund for Nature – Netherlands.

Summary

• Insight Summary in 100 Words
• Clients confirm materiality of biodiversity, but ask how and why to act now
• Their main challenge is measuring nature risks and impacts in portfolios
  Robeco’s Biodiversity Traffic Light assesses corporate positioning on nature

MSCI ESG: APAC Issuers Webinar - Corporate Governance and timely insights from “Women on Boards"

Date
April 30, 2025
 
Time
9:00 - 10:00 a.m. SGT
 
Location
Virtual Platform
 
Overview
Join our webinar on 30th April, Wednesday, designed for issuers across APAC interested in enhancing their understanding of selected key issues in our Corporate Governance methodology and how it may impact your ESG Rating. 
 
In this session, you will gain a deeper understanding on topics such as: 
- Our rules-based Corporate Governance assessment process and how it impacts  MSCI ESG Ratings 
- Key components of our Corporate Governance methodology, focusing on the Board Key Issue 
- Timely insights from our annual Women on Boards and Beyond Progress Report , including findings specific to APAC issuers 
- How you can engage with us as a rated corporate issuer and provide valuable data feedback. 

By focusing allocations on financing real-world emissions reduction and using engagement to encourage net-zero alignment, investors can help to shift the economy toward a credible decarbonisation pathway, while optimising returns for clients and beneficiaries.

In Brief

• The rising demand for freshwater and the lack of access to safe drinking water for a significant portion of the global population, highlights a critical crisis in water availability and security.
• Across the water value chain, there are substantial investment opportunities due to the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades and the growing markets for water and wastewater treatment solutions.
• Innovative technologies are emerging to address freshwater scarcity, safety, and affordability.

In brief
• Younger generations, such as Millennials and Generation Z, are reshaping consumer preferences, prioritizing health and wellness, seeking value in their purchases, and favoring e-commerce.
• The growing middle class in emerging markets, the massive generational transfer of wealth, and the ongoing digitization of commerce present significant growth opportunities for businesses.
• To appeal to the growing younger consumer base, companies must understand the trends and preferences of these rising consumers and develop strategies to access new markets around the world.

Megatrending 2025 delves into key themes across three major sections:

Society

• Hope in a multi-pandemic world
• Climate anxiety
• Why it's time to invest in biotech again
• AI: Powering a healthcare revolution

Environment

• Tracking the energy transition
• The challenge of flying green
• Iberdrola's path to sustainable energy
• The state of climate capital
• Solving climate change demands more than moonshots
• Costing biodiversity loss

Technology

• Technological leaps and bounds
• The investment implications of AI
• Chips with everything
• We, Robot
• Surveying forecasts of AI's economic effects
• Private equity comes to grips with AI

Key findings from this briefing:

• Significantly reducing the deforestation exposure of global agricultural supply chains, and eliminating the risks to companies and investors, will require an enabling environment.  
• Policymakers are key to this, as are the nascent efforts of international financial markets to recognise the value of natural capital contained within forests.
• Investors can use available tools and datasets to consider their exposure to deforestation across the entire value chain for sectors that depend on high-risk agricultural inputs.
• They can work with portfolio companies or borrowers to identify the strategies and systems that best mitigate the physical and regulatory risks of deforestation. 

The victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election, coupled with a lacklustre COP29 climate conference in Baku, has prompted concerns about the state of the energy transition, with some fearing progress may slow or even reverse.

Such concerns are underscored by the 2024 average global temperature reaching 1.8°C above pre-industrial levels in 2024 – marking it as the first year to surpass the 1.5°C target limit. 

Despite rising global temperatures and the Trump administration withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement for the second time, we still see opportunity for investors to profit from the prevailing trends underlying....

AP Funds: 

The Council on Ethics for the Swedish National Pension Funds: Proactive work highlights important systemic issues

The Council on Ethics for the Swedish National Pension Funds sums up a year of active engagement. The proactive work addresses important systemic issues, including antimicrobial resistance and the extraction of critical metals and minerals for the green transition. The outcomes during 2024 also show continued progress in the reactive company dialogues.

Key takeaways

"While the Trump administration's policies may weigh on some areas of the sustainable investing universe, opportunities with strong commercial economics still exist.

We recommend a diversified portfolio approach across sustainable equities, bonds, hedge funds, and private markets. ESG leaders' strategies, which are theme and sector agnostic, have demonstrated consistent performance against non-ESG benchmarks and remain attractive options for investors, in our view."

Key Insights:

Not all reported rollbacks in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives will have the same impact. While some changes may signal material shifts in corporate policy, potentially resulting in increased ESG risks, others are primarily a reframing of DEI discourse.
 
Due to the relatively low weight of DEI in Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Rating, we do not anticipate significant changes to overall ratings.
 
Despite limited financial materiality, investors may be concerned about broader implications, including societal impacts and potential weakening of other ESG commitments, such as climate risk disclosure.

Key Insights: 

Meta’s social media platforms disseminate large amounts of content including misinformation, disinformation and hate speech; recent content moderation changes are likely to increase the latter’s volume and spread.

Societal risks of false information could rise in the US, resulting in regulatory risks.

Content moderation changes could expose Meta to greater financial materiality risks if they lead to reduced user engagement, brand safety, and advertising spending.  

Major increases in societal and financial materiality risks could prompt a reassessment of Meta’s product governance risks from high to severe.

Key Insights: 

Meta’s social media platforms disseminate large amounts of content including misinformation, disinformation and hate speech; recent content moderation changes are likely to increase the latter’s volume and spread.

Societal risks of false information could rise in the US, resulting in regulatory risks.

Content moderation changes could expose Meta to greater financial materiality risks if they lead to reduced user engagement, brand safety, and advertising spending.  

Major increases in societal and financial materiality risks could prompt a reassessment of Meta’s product governance risks from high to severe.

Key Insights:

EU companies face structural barriers to their decarbonization efforts, including those related to EU subsidies, high interest rates, lack of customer commitment, and lack of manufacturing capacity.
 
Despite these obstacles, the companies engaged with on this trip, such as BASF, Iberdrola, Air Liquide, and Acerinox, have remained committed to their net zero ambitions -- investing in low-carbon technologies and projects, engaging with policymakers, and strategically positioning themselves within low-carbon value chains.
 
Bold and coordinated action from policymakers, industry leaders, and investors is needed to address these challenges, if the goal of a sustainable and resilient energy system in the EU is to be achieved.

Environmental-Focused Goals Receive Majority of Financing, Focused on Few Key Areas

• Out of about 900 bonds rated under Sustainable Fitch’s framework, more than half of the proceeds by US dollar value are allocated towards impacts that align with environmental SDGs.
• The data indicates that bond allocations among financial institutions and corporates are concentrated ina small number of SDGs.

• We’ve lost >50mn tons of ice every hour in the last 30 yrs, yet what’s happening in our cryosphere remains out of sight & out of mind; ice losses threaten water, food, energy & economic security & we need urgent emission cuts to stop the melt, slow down SLR & preserve our freshwater ice banks
• Asia is the most vulnerable region - we can & must act; with>50% of GHG emissions Asia can deliver deep decarb this decade & since we are still developing we have the opportunity to leapfrog ahead on transition & adaptation to match rising risks
• What we do in the next few years will decide our futures; overshooting 2°C will result in huge economic impacts from extensive ice loss; tackling complex challenges start with conversations – so download the Guide & let’s get talking about ice now

CWR with top cryosphere scientists/institutes have produced a series of factsheets on what's happening at the front lines from our poles to mountains and on the human and economic impacts of this.

"Vanishing ice and record low snowfall in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) are concerning for water supply as these are key components of river flow. The Himalayan Water Towers are the source region for 10 mighty rivers in Asia including the Ganges, Indus, Mekong, Yangtze & Yellow Rivers. Not only do one in two Asians live in these 10 river basins, but these basins are also economic powerhouses with over 280 large cities and 865GW of power assets."

JobPost: Arcadis - Sustainability Specialist – Nature & Biodiversity (Various locations)

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.

We are more than 36,000 people, in over 70 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role description:

As a Sustainability Specialist in the Global Sustainability team, you will be responsible for conducting research and analysis and proposing solutions on a variety of sustainability-related topics to help the Global Sustainability Programs advance in alignment with external assurance requirements and commercial opportunities. As part of your role, you will be supporting the integration of the programs within the business, supporting pilot projects, testing innovative tools and approaches, preparing lighthouse examples, developing and facilitating trainings, and supporting the preparation of thought leadership on specific topics. 

JobPost: MSCI Real Assets - Sustainability & Climate Sales Specialist - Riyadh

JobPost: S&P Global - Associate Director, Global Carbon Markets (multiple locations, close unknown)

JobPost: Natixis - Business Analyst ESG & Green Weighting Factor (Paris)

Principles for Responsible Investment
 
Employment Type Full time Please note, where PRI has an office there is an expectation to work a minimum of 2 days per week 
 
Location  Hybrid · London, UK   
 
Seniority Mid-level
Closing: 8:00pm, 27th Apr 2025 BST

S&P Global - Associate Director, Energy Transition Consulting (Multiple locations | close unknown)

JobPost: SSgA - Sustainability Reporting & Climate Policy Officer (London | Close 30 Apr)

JobPost: Goldman Sachs Alternatives - Sustainability & Impact, ESG Product Design, Senior Analyst (London |  Close unknown)

Jobpost: Merck - Associate Director, Sustainability Strategy & Engagement (US | close 7 Apr)

Senior Specialist Stewardship, Nature

Policy Specialist, Canada (12 Month Fixed Term Contract)

Specialist, Progression & Innovation

Associate, Sustainable Financial System

Digital Marketing Associate

Senior Policy Specialist, Africa

Senior Specialist, Sustainability Initiatives 18 Month Fixed Term Contract, (with possible extension)

Associate, Sustainability Initiatives (18 Month Fixed Term Contract)

Head of Human Rights, Social & Governance Issues

Project Manager, Events & Initiatives (12 Month Fixed Term Contract)

JobPost: Goldman Sachs - Asset & Wealth Management, Private Credit, Global Head of ESG, Vice President (NYC | Close unknown)

Senior Learning & Development Partner - People & Culture Team - Principles for Responsible Investment - Applied

Senior Internal Communications & Engagement Business Partner - Principles for Responsible Investment - Applied

Specialist, CRM Administrator - Solutions & Technology - Principles for Responsible Investment - Applied

Growth Marketing Manager - Principles for Responsible Investment - Applied

Specialist, Stewardship Climate Action 100+ (12 Month Fixed Term Contract) - Principles for Responsible Investment - Applied

JobPost: PRI - Senior Specialist, Sovereign Engagement (Canada) 2 Year Fixed Term Contract
 

Employment Type Contract Please note, where PRI has an office there is an expectation to work a minimum of 2 days per week 
 
Location  Hybrid · Canada    Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal
 
Seniority Senior
Closing: 8:00pm, 6th Apr 2025 CDT

JobPost: Business Analyst, Technology & Infrastructure - PRI (London | Closing: 8:00pm, 2nd Mar 2025 GMT)