Double Materiality Built around the New Solvency II Directive

As European companies are facing and understanding the strong connection between sustainability risks and financial and operational risks, sustainability risks are increasingly becoming more important within the Enterprise Risk Management of these companies. The insurance sector, with the concept of risk ingrained into its nature, is going through a period of transition towards integrating sustainability risks into investment strategies and underwriting activities. This article elaborates on the recently updated Solvency II Directive and discusses practical implications for European insurance companies.

Tackling ESG Integration Challenges in the Insurance Industry

An investigation of the 25 largest European insurance companies (in terms of assets) that were eligible for inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices in 2021 yielded insights into how the insurance industry is integrating ESG issues into strategy. As the largest institutional investor in Europe, with 10 trillion euros invested in bonds, equity, and other investments, this industry, whose main experience, and business specialty centers on assessing risk, provides a strong case study for how corporates strive to advance on ESG topics. This article highlights the key learnings from the recent benchmark study conducted by Finch & Beak.

Activating Your 2022 CSA Approach

Clearly identified material issues, a strong sustainability strategy, and a solid ESG program are important building blocks for successful participation in S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). This article summarizes the key takeaways of a webinar hosted by Finch & Beak with keynote speaker Edoardo Gai, Managing Director, Head ESG Benchmarking at S&P Global Sustainable1. The webinar focused on activating your CSA approach which included insights about current ESG trends, how ESG is evolving, the 2022 methodology changes, and practical suggestions for setting up a successful campaign.

ESG Machete: Comparing Suitable ESG Data for Your Board

Spurred by regulation and investor interest, more companies than ever are reporting on core ESG topics by publishing integrated or separate corporate sustainability reports. Simultaneously, more than $1tn in total assets under management in funds are now abiding by ESG principles, and legislation is catching up. While investors and policy makers are becoming stronger advocates for ESG disclosure, companies struggle to strike the right balance between efforts and results. But how to make sure the right ESG ratings and performance analysis are used to inform senior management?

Rethinking Value, Emerging Risks and Revealing ESG Leaders

Early February, the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2021 was published - highlighting the sustainability leaders and key industry trends, which have emerged from the 2020 Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). In addition, the Yearbook provides interesting reflections on the new challenges and trends brought about during the last year. This article gives a brief summary of the take-aways from the Yearbook, with a deeper view on rethinking value, and identifying and managing emerging risks.

Dow Jones Sustainability Index Readiness Assessment

ESG ratings are absorbing many resources. When in full reporting mode in Q1, you may run out of time and come across issues in your Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) process that you are not able to deal with at that very moment. For those eager to plan ahead and looking to maximally leverage their ESG performance, Finch & Beak developed a comprehensive Readiness Assessment for (future) participants of the DJSI and other ratings.

ESG Acceleration Webinar: Effective ESG Equity Stories

During this webinar, we'll share the key findings from Finch & Beak’s ESG Equity Stories benchmark, which explores the state of how companies proactively communicate their ESG approach to investor audiences. The outcomes are complemented with an investor's perspective on effective ESG engagement between companies and capital markets coming from guest speaker Adrie Heinsbroek, Principal Responsible Investment at NN Investment Partners.

Second Instalment of the ESG Acceleration Webinar Series

Join us for the second instalment of Finch & Beak's ESG Acceleration Webinar series, aimed at speeding up sustainability performance and building resilience in the decade to deliver - especially during these challenging times. In December, we'll share more practical insights on effective ESG Equity Stories, using DJSI to accelerate performance and #BuildBackBetter to take your sustainability program to the next level.

ESG Transparency: Balancing Proactive and Reactive Reporting

Even though the surge for consolidation of ESG ratings further accelerated in 2020, companies are still stating to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ESG information requests they receive from capital markets. And as more than $1tn in total assets under management in funds are now abiding by ESG principles, investors’ needs for credible ESG information are not likely to slow down. Companies stand to benefit from taking a balanced approach between proactively driving their ESG Equity Stories forward while reactively responding to the ESG ratings that are most relevant to them in terms of richness and reach.

ESG Acceleration Webinar: Building Effective ESG Equity Stories

Momentum on ESG in the capital markets continues to soar. Companies have a powerful opportunity to pro-actively tell their ESG equity story to their shareholders, and chances are you are underleveraging your own IR-platforms in doing so. During this 1-hour webinar, we'll dive deeper in the key elements of an ESG equity story and share key take-aways and best practices from our recent benchmark study. Moreover, guest speaker Isabel Green, Head of Investor Relations at Rolls-Royce, will give her practical insights on effectively communicating on ESG with the investor community.