Going from product development to responsible investments is quite a change in setting. But what was the biggest adjustment for Katarina Hammar, Co-head of Responsible Investments at Nordea Asset Management? AMWatch turned to her for the answer.
While DNB Asset Management believes climate change will remain on top of the agenda in ESG investing, the EUR 61bn asset manager expects investors' attention on social issues will grow in the coming years.
Head of ESG Research at Aberdeen Standard Investment pinpoints three challenges that affect all investment strategies – and why a whale might affect an entire industry.
Investors and academia need a shared language to efficiently measure the social or environmental impact of an investment, argues Partner of impact advisory firm. Measuring the impact in dollar terms might be the answer.
THE CAREER PATH OF AN ESG CHIEF: "Tragedy in the Horizon", the famous speech by the Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney in 2015 on climate change as a destabilizing factor for the financial sector had a strong impact on Head of Responsible Investments at DNB Asset Management Janicke Scheele. She tells AMWatch why she thinks that Carney’s speech changed quite a lot.
Figures are strong despite Swedbank's negative development during the first half of 2019, says the group's CEO Jens Henriksson.
BANK-OWNED ASSET MANAGERS' ESG ASPIRATIONS: DNB Asset Management has increased its efforts against climate change in the past 12 months. Both by being a part of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) investor pilot project, and through active ownership engagements focusing especially on Norwegian companies that are highly exposed to climate-related risks and opportunities.
BANK-OWNED ASSET MANAGERS' ESG ASPIRATIONS: AMWatch compares the ten largest Nordic asset managers' ESG teams. While units continue to grow, and some expect even more staffers, according to several companies, an asset managers' ESG capabilities is not determined by the number of ESG analysts.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) launched nine principles for impact investing in April, which were backed by 60 global asset managers. The objective was to make impact investments scalable with integrity, explains senior staffer of the World Bank division.
THE CAREER PATH OF AN ESG CHIEF: Annika Manninen has only been Head of ESG at OP Asset Management for a few months, but she has been working with it for many years. During her final year at university, someone mentioned responsible investments and she knew that she had found her career path. She tells her story to AMWatch.
BANK-OWNED ASSET MANAGERS' ESG ASPIRATIONS: Nordic asset managers face increasing ESG data bills as multiple data providers are a requirement to get the full picture. Meanwhile, the same asset managers are under pressure to deliver low-cost solutions to investors.
According to SEB, the issuance will help to accelerate the development of new vaccines for some of the world's most dangerous infectious diseases.
A private equity manager wanting to partner up with the Swiss-based asset manager needs to take ESG into consideration "because if they don't, and don’t intend to, it's basically impossible for us to invest with the manager,” explains Managing Partner and UNPRI board member. He sheds light on LGT CP's ESG assessment and manager selection process.
BANK-OWNED ASSET MANAGERS' ESG ASPIRATIONS: The number of funds with an ESG, impact or sustainability label has soared in recent years and will continue to do so in the years to come. However, the lack of standardization makes product comparison difficult for investors.
While the three largest markets – China, the US, and Europe – all saw a decrease in clean energy investments during the first six months of 2019, Sweden leaped 212 percent to USD 2.5bn.
BANK-OWNED ASSET MANAGERS' ESG ASPIRATIONS: Increasing demand for ESG products leads to a growing supply, and differentiating the product offering is a difficult exercise for asset managers. AMWatch has asked OP Financial Group Head of ESG Annika Manninen how her company approaches the challenge.
IMPACT INVESTING AND THE MEASUREMENT ISSUES: As impact investing and the UN Sustainable Development Goals become as mainstream in financial vocabulary as Sharpe Ratio and price/earnings, we must keep in mind that most business activities actually have a negative impact on the SDGs.
Foreign investors have been especially interested in the Evli Nordic Corporate Bond fund, and capital reached nearly EUR 800m at the end of June, writes Evli Group CEO.
SEB Investment Management's Head of ESG predicts upcoming changes in responsible policy as incorporating ESG will change from voluntary to mandatory. Morningstar report supports the claims that change is coming.
Nordea Liv & Pension Head of Sustainability admits that the company ought to have reallocated EUR 2bn in pension savings towards stricter sustainability criteria much sooner.
During this year's first six months, Nordea's pension company in Sweden has worked on an extensive restructuring to invest more sustainably.
PKA and Pensam have made a million dollar co-investment in a new Texan wind farm. Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas will supply wind turbines.
The EUR 100m investment aims to promote welfare and infrastructure in West African nation.
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Sustainable investing has undergone four phases in the past decade, argues AXA Investment Managers duo. "This is only the beginning and over the next few years, the market will see a number of new methodologies for this purpose as the field of sustainable investing matures," CIO argues.
Today's sustainable investments are to focused on sustainable corporate processes. According to Norwegian fund manager Philip Ripman, focus ought to be on products and services that make a more significant contribution to sustainable development.
