CFA Society France’s Post

LuxFLAG’s Sustainability Investment Week #LSIW24 last week shared insights from key industry leaders, underscoring progress and optimism for ESG and impact investing. LuxFlag chairwoman Denise Voss highlighted how far sustainable investing has come over the last five years. Despite challenges like “regulatory uncertainty” and greenwashing, asset managers are increasingly realigning their portfolios to meet ESG criteria under Article 8 and 9 classifications. “We’re entering a new era of labelling,” Voss explained, noting LuxFlag’s role as an internationally focused agency enhancing transparency. Union Investment’s senior ESG analyst Johannes Böhm shared how the firm is working towards net-zero through the #NetZero Investment Framework, outlining steps to meet intermediate goals and push high-emission companies towards NZ targets by 2050. His message? Driving meaningful climate impact requires methodical, scalable solutions. Catch up on Investment Officer Luxembourg for further insights: https://lnkd.in/eSFUekeS

Join me at the TMX CDP Sustainable Investment Summit on October 7! #sustainablefinance #TMX #CDP #CapitalMarkets #ESG #ESGdata

The Responsible Investment Association (RIAA) recently launched their new Sustainability Classifications initiative. The classifications build on RIAA’s certification program and take into account the approach a fund takes in considering ESG factors and the degree to which sustainability is addressed or targeted. As well as being RIAA certified, NorthStar Impact Australian Equities Fund has been awarded the highest rating of “Sustainability Plus” by RIAA. It’s great acknowledgement of the work we do, to not only invest in positive impact companies, but to work with these companies and our broader networks to extend their impact, drive positive outcomes and to measure and report on this in our annual impact report. You can find out more about the RIAA’s new sustainability classifications here: https://lnkd.in/gRj8bDqq You can read NorthStar’s 2023 Impact Report here: https://lnkd.in/gK2R-UhH

Last week, the responsible investing community came together at the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) Conference. Senior sustainability analyst Vanessa Stevens attended the conference and joined a panel discussion on helping advisers to understand their clients’ ESG preferences. “It was inspiring to see how people are trying to align their investments with values that make a positive impact on society and the environment. By sharing knowledge and working together, we’re helping to drive positive change through the companies we choose to invest in,” says Vanessa. There is a lot to consider when investing responsibly, and Vanessa has identified five principles to keep in mind on your responsible investing journey. Read Vanessa's key takeaways and her five principles to keep in mind on your responsible investing journey on our website: https://lnkd.in/gGrhPSQa

2023 presented its fair share of challenges for sustainability and sustainable investing, yet amidst the hurdles, there were notable bright spots and the year ultimately concluded on a promising note. Join us tomorrow at 9:00 am for a webinar update with the Pengana WHEB Sustainable Impact Fund: https://hubs.li/Q02jMhNT0 During the webinar, Ted Franks, Seb Beloe and Rachael Monteiro will provide an update on: - 2023, the year in review and the outlook for the Pengana WHEB Sustainable Impact Fund. - COP28 Reflections: Low expectations, plenty of controversy, a few surprises, and a lot more to do. - How WHEB’s approach to stewardship is based on quality over quantity, with a focus on materiality and positive impact. #webinar #impactinvesting #stewardship #engagement #webinar #sustainability #portfolio #investing #cpd #cpdpoints #stocks #impactinvesting #esg #climatechange

We have two sessions on value creation at this year's Private Equity International Responsible Investment Forum West in Palo Alto in September. Let me know if you'd like to be involved #valuecreation #responsibleinvestment #privateequity #PE

Exciting news from PEI's Responsible Investment Forum: West. Join us for two sessions focused on how portfolio companies are balancing the ESG expectations of their PE sponsors. The first focuses on "The integration of ESG into value creation plans" and is followed by a panel on "Portfolio company perspectives on sustainability and ESG performance improvement". Discover more about these sessions and the rest of the topics being discussed in the latest agenda: https://okt.to/xil4sN #RIFWest #ESGPerformance #Sustainability #InvestorPartnerships #ResponsibleInvesting

At P&I’s Sustainable Investing conference, we’ll be cutting through the headlines to discuss exactly why there has been a shift in language around sustainable and ESG strategies and why it’s relevant for you. Join your peers for 2 days of networking across panels, breakouts, and tabletop discussions. You won’t want to miss these discussions which will help you find the innovative strategies that are helping allocators capture returns from some of the top themes in investing! https://lnkd.in/exdXgpKw   You can read P&I’s extensive coverage of Sustainable Investing here: https://lnkd.in/gWHfEKZy

In light of TriFinance Belgium's ESG conference (hosted by Gaëlle De Baeck & Mario Matthijs) later today, I would like to elaborate further on this topic. A new reporting era is imminent. As from 2025, many organizations must comply with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The true impact, however, sustainability goes beyond compliance. It is a catalyst for crucial transformation. To delve deeper into the conversation about responsible investing and its implications for businesses and society, I would like to share the following TED talk of Chris McKnett who (already years ago) educated us on how aligning investments with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors can drive positive change while delivering financial returns. His insights highlight the importance of considering the long-term impacts of our investments and the opportunities for businesses to create value for both shareholders and society. I would like to close this post with a reference to John F. Kennedy, just like Chris McKnett did in his talk: "There are risks and costs to a program of actions, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction."

Corporate ESG and Sustainability - Some data points are exciting and reflect the world's commitment to a better tomorrow through ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Practice and Reporting Investor interest in ESG-focused investments continues to grow. According to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, sustainable investment assets globally reached $35.3 trillion by the start of 2020, a 15% increase from 2018. A Governance & Accountability Institute report found that in 2020, 90% of S&P 500 companies published sustainability reports, up from just 20% in 2011