DJSI Expert Training 5 March 2020

On March 5th 2020, ESG practitioners from across Europe will meet again in Amsterdam to learn and exchange best practices with top level peers. Building on the success of our DJSI events and trainings since 2010, we will deep-dive into the relevance of ESG data for investors, key sustainability trends and developments.

Learnings of the DJSI 2019 in a Nutshell

Following SAM’s webinars on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2019 results and its newly added and updated criteria, this article and the attached download elaborate on the key learnings of the CSA 2019 and steps to take in preparation of 2020.

The Power of Diversity in the Board Room

When researching at board level the 24 banks from the collective gold, silver and bronze classes in the RobecoSAM Sustainability Yearbook 2018, a less than diverse picture appears. Analyzing the current day portraits from their annual reports, shows that bankers with beards are a minute minority. From the 24 banks researched, 309 portrayed board members appeared from either the supervisory board or board of directors. In total only 4.5% of them were bearded and just a meagre 28.8% was female, signalling an opportunity for diversity.

Help Us Design the 2020 DJSI Expert Training

Following successful Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Expert Trainings in Amsterdam, Zürich and Barcelona, Finch & Beak is planning another edition on Thursday, March 5, 2020 in Amsterdam. The Training aims to bring together global practitioners and experts on ESG benchmarking to learn and exchange best practices with top level DJSI peers. In order to provide the most relevant program, we want to hear from you! Share your preferences so that we can address your most pressing questions during the training.

Summary of SAM’s Webcast on Information Security & Privacy Protection

On the 24th of October, SAM conducted its third webinar on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2019 results. This webcast zoomed in on the criteria of Information Security/Cybersecurity and Privacy Protection, which were both thoroughly updated and rolled out to additional industries in 2019. Download our free summary of the highlights in the attachment of the article.

Reflecting on DJSI 2019 - Summary of SAM’s Review Webcast

On the 19th of September, SAM launched the first out of five webinars on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2019 results. The webcast discussed general information on the outcomes of the 2019 assessment and zoomed in on a number of highlighted criteria. Download our free summary of the highlights in the attachment of the article.

The 2019 Global Dow Jones Sustainability Index Results

Last Friday, SAM and S&P Dow Jones Indices announced the results of the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) review. Newcomers in this year’s DJSI Indices include Alphabet Inc, Bureau Veritas, and Hilton Worldwide Holdings, while Royal Dutch Shell, 3M and DuPont are amongst those who dropped out. As our summarizing infographic illustrates, this year the overall participation grew with an astonishing 18%. This is in large part due to the soaring use of ESG data by investors and the increasing evidence of the prime position that the DJSI holds within the ESG arena.

ESG & Benchmarking

Capturing Value from ESG & Benchmarking

The demand for public non-financial information on environmental, social, and governance issues is both maturing and booming. Companies often elect to participate in ESG Ratings to showcase their sustainability efforts to their investors and other stakeholders and to improve their performance.

The Art of Non-Financial Reporting “Less is More”

The magnitude of different non-financial reporting frameworks increasingly pressures sustainability departments in staying away from the reporting trap and focusing on improving their positive impact. Companies must frequently cope with limited bandwidth in terms of attention and resources. Instead of the all-too-common machine gun approach of spraying efforts large and thin, it is important to select a limited number of high-impact sustainability efforts. Effective implementation requires precision in the definition of sustainability targets and dedicated efforts in execution.