DJSI Team Acceleration Training in collaboration with RobecoSAM

In 2016, increased transparency on ESG aspects towards investors has amplified the importance of ESG ratings. Why not take charge with the most valued benchmark of all: the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). Help your investors fill in the blanks, and get credit for the efforts that your company is taking. To get going, RobecoSAM and Finch & Beak are hosting an exclusive 2-day DJSI Team Acceleration Training in Zürich on 15-16 February 2017, specifically designed for companies that are not yet actively participating in the DJSI.

DJSI Expert Training in collaboration with RobecoSAM

Building on 12 years of experience with the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Finch & Beak is hosting a DJSI Expert Training in Amsterdam in collaboration with RobecoSAM. Coming March, global practitioners on ESG benchmarking will come together in Amsterdam to learn and exchange best practices with top level DJSI peers. The appropriate venue is Beurs van Berlage; the capital’s former stock exchange which is a first-rate location within a convenient 1 kilometer radius of Amsterdam’s central station.

Does Your CFO Already Know? ESG Laggards Unveiled

Since September 2016 listed companies that perform below par on ESG criteria have been unpleasantly surprised. Bloomberg, the data provider that informs investors and journalists on company performances and financial market developments, will disclose the ESG performance of both top performers and laggards.

2016 Dow Jones Sustainability Index Results

On the 8th of September 2016, RobecoSAM announced the results of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). We are proud to be working for Europe's frontrunners of which Koninklijke DSM and Telenet Group Holding are this year's industry group leaders. Other industry group leaders include Unilever, Roche Holding, Telecom Italia, and Metro AG. Companies that were added in this year’s world index are Cisco Systems, Essilor, Royal Dutch Shell, and Adobe Systems, whereas Samsung Electronics and BT Group are companies that have been deleted from the index.

The 2016 RobecoSAM Forum

This year’s RobecoSAM Forum takes place on 22 and 23 September in Horgen near Zürich, gathering together some of the world’s top investors and ESG subjects experts to debate current and rising sustainability investing topics and discuss solutions regarding the future of ESG investing.

RobecoSAM and Bloomberg: Changing the Game

Earlier this year, RobecoSAM already announced its new partnership with Bloomberg, a principal provider of business and financial information. As a result, the performance of the Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) of all companies that have been appraised will be accessible by the Bloomberg licensees. This might come as a shock to those companies that have been assessed - often without their knowledge - based on publicly available information only.

Leading the Circular Economy Transformation

Celebrating our 20th anniversary, Finch & Beak will co-host the exclusive customer event “Leading the Circular Economy Transformation” - in collaboration with RobecoSAM - on 8th September 2016 in Düsseldorf, Germany. The aim is to jointly uncover circular economy business opportunities and determine what it takes to turn them faster into value for both company and society.

Over 85 Million Animals Each Year Benefit from Standards

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) organized its latest Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards ceremony in Berlin, where leading food businesses from around the globe were rewarded for their commitment to improving animal welfare standards in their supply chains. According to CIWF the higher welfare policies and practices of this year’s award winners are benefiting over 85 million animals each year.

Effective Partnering: Learning from the Past

As circularity is becoming a topic of interest with larger corporations around the globe, a question that emerges is how they can develop the necessary innovations to fuel the circular economy. With 68 percent of the top 100 companies from the Forbes Global 500 already engaging with start-ups in one form or another, fast-forwarding the development of dearly awaited innovations is definitely not a new challenge. INSEAD and 500 Startups conducted a research study based on the world's 500 biggest public companies that highlights what we can learn from past corporate experiences.

Sustainability Program Can Increase Target Price by 15%

The valuation impact of sustainability can be very high. ESG based value driver analysis led to a target price impact of -19% at Anglo American and +23% at Chr. Hansen. However, when talking to Investor Relations executives and Board members of listed companies, a frequently heard statement is “Why bother, our investors are not interested in sustainability”. This claim is sourced from the observation that there are few questions in shareholders meetings and earnings calls that address the topic. But how is that possible with the level of assets under management of ESG integrated funds rising beyond €6 trillion in Europe alone?