ESG
Materiality Matrix in Focus
Analysts are better able to assess fundamental risk and reflect it in stock prices when corporate disclosures are specific and avoid vague, abstract language. However, according to SASB’s State of Disclosure Report, companies used vague and non-specific language more than 50% of the time across ESG topics. Sustainability leaders such as DSM, Unilever and Barry Callebaut demonstrate that a focused materiality approach that is strongly allied to the company’s Enterprise Risk Management and aligned with its business strategy leads to better results, both for society and for shareholders. With only an approximated 30% of companies actually combining their materiality assessment with their Enterprise Risk Mapping, “StratESGy”, i.e. the alignment of business strategy with ESG factors, is still in its infancy.
Prepare for the 2020 DJSI Questionnaire
On Wednesday 1 April S&P Global will open its annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment. This questionnaire is the basis for selecting the best-performing companies for the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). Every year, S&P Global assesses over 7,500 companies around the world on industry-specific and financially material ESG topics. To be ready to start your required preparation, check out our summary of announced changes for this year's methodology.
Green Bonds Foster Sustainable Investing
Alternative forms of investments are becoming more predominant in corporate financial structures. Companies that leave a bigger fingerprint are encouraging internal collaboration by pairing unrelated divisions to one another. Energias de Portugal is living proof of this, blending its corporate vision with investors’ desire for portfolio diversification. Hedging both financial and environmental risk factors, green bonds enable alignment and play an active role in a strategic point of view.
Unique knowledge and networking event in Amsterdam
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, potential changes to the CSA, 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 in CSA
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 the 2019 CSA. 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.
