Triodos Investment Management’s Post

Alarmist headlines, powerful conglomerates and so-called ‘anti-woke’ politicians are casting doubt about sustainable investing. But no matter how loud their noise, they can never prevent progress. Impact investing is on the right side of history, argues Managing Director Hadewych Kuiper. She encourages sustainable investors to stand strong and persevere. Like an oak tree against the wind. "I draw strength from the sometimes brazen arguments against ESG, sustainable and impact investing. Resistance is a normal part of change, and counterarguments make you aware of how others perceive things. They compel us to better articulate why we believe the financial sector should look at the ‘true return’ of their investment and replace their risk-return lens with an impact-risk-return lens when looking at investments." Read Hadewych's column on our website. #ImpactInvesting #SustainableInvesting #ESG #PositiveImpact #ImpactRiskReturn

| “Sustainable products grow 2.7 times faster than others” | ✏️ A short text, yet brimming with several intellectual gold nuggets. Hadewych Kuiper, Managing Director at Triodos Investment Management, wisely elevates the discourse in this reflective column. Resistance to change, as exemplified by the Anti-ESG movement, is inevitable and even foreseeable. It is our response to this resistance and the lessons we derive that truly matter. Engaging in #socialdialogue, underpinned by a willingness to remain open-minded, is both essential and invaluable. 🌎 But we must remain committed to our goals: the economy must be transformed, and so it shall. “Even if alarmist headlines, powerful conglomerates and so-called ‘anti-woke’ politicians manage to cast doubt, they can never prevent progress. The momentum is already too strong. (…) Regulators have already taken note. The rules around carbon emissions, greenwashing and transition plans are coming thick and fast. (…) We are campaigning for traditional investments to be held to the same strict standards as sustainable assets” “Wherever you find progress, you’ll also find the people (now on the wrong side of history) who tried to block it. (…) But let’s not forget that these loud and critical voices play a crucial role in the process of improvement and institutional change. By listening to diverse viewpoints and considering alternative perspectives, we can identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments.” https://lnkd.in/ed8wy9U6

XPS’s Faye Clark, CFA highlights three ESG topics investors should not hide away from in our latest XPS POV. Read here: https://lnkd.in/evGc2jxz #XPSPOV #Investment #ESG

“There is a fiduciary responsibility to consider ESG factors - even if your involvement is for a short period of time - you could be making asset decisions on behalf of long-term beneficiaries. Therefore appreciating the detail, including the lesser discussed areas outlined in this blog, is important.” A point made by Faye Clark, CFA in her blog below… a point well made!

A recent Deal Book note by Andrew Ross Sorkin in the New York Times confirms that Wall Street's clout to expand the climate agenda has taken a hit. JPMorgan Chase and State Street have ended their participation in Climate Action 100+, a global investment coalition that has been strong for companies to decarbonize. BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has also scaled back its ties to the group. All told, the moves amount to a nearly $14 trillion exit from the organization. According to Trackinsight's 2024 Global ETF Survey, the amount of investor capital flowing into ESG-themed ETFs has diminished globally since 2021. Unfortunately, in the United States the entire concept of ESG has become increasingly politicized, with some politicians arguing that pension funds should not be allowed to potentially compromise returns by screening out companies according to an ESG criteria. ESG is a framework for evaluating companies based on environmental, social, and governance factors, guiding investors towards sustainable and responsible businesses. Check out the infographic below to see net flows into ESG-themed ETFs over the past five years.

Webinar: Carbon Markets - What Investors Need to Know Wednesday, October 2, 11:00 AM EDT Carbon credits have received increased attention over the past year, as questions about data integrity and real-world carbon abatement come to light. However, this nature-based asset class continues to evolve, offering a promising long-term opportunity for institutional investors. Join our expert panel as they explore the latest developments in carbon markets—from improved assessment methods to growing interest from companies and investors—and what to expect in the year ahead. This webinar will be moderated by Emmanuel Tamrat, Senior Research Analyst. Speakers will include: Eric Cooperström, Managing Director, Impact Investing & Natural Climate Solutions, Manulife Investment Management. Guy Turner, Managing Director, Global Head of Carbon Markets, MSCI Tasos Zavitsanakis, Managing Director and Co-Head of the APAC Sustainable Finance Office, UBS AG Non-members may pay a fee to join. Register: https://lnkd.in/evfj8QDE #corpgov #corporategovernance #voiceofcorporategovernance #institutionalinvestors

Regardless of political backlash or denial of benefits, it is a fact that considering sustainability impact is crucial for long-term investments. It is undeniably one of the most important factors! #sustainability #investments #esg #environment #investments #funds #risk #impact #sustainablefinance

A quick primer on the #Ocean and a regenerative and #sustainableBlueEconomy - or ‘Life Pillars’ with Markus H.-P. Müller Deutsche Bank Private Bank -

Thoughts on Asset Manager Withdrawals from Climate Action 100+ Recent news of multiple large asset managers withdrawing from Climate Action 100+ has me thinking again about the wave of anti-ESG rhetoric and legislation sweeping across the US. While I and many other CA100+ members are certainly disappointed by these withdrawals, I can understand the business rationale behind the decisions of these asset managers. Various state legislatures and elected officials have threatened to terminate contracts with various financial services providers that understand and are acting on their fiduciary obligations to aggressively support changes in corporate and public policies that will hasten the transition to a low-carbon economy. Hence, many of these large firms are compelled to protect their business interests by publicly withdrawing from initiatives perceived to be supportive of sustainable investment objectives. Some of these asset managers are claiming that their in-house engagement efforts are sufficient to continue influencing companies to more aggressively manage the risks of climate change. Consider me skeptical. I think it would be extremely difficult for any single asset manager—even the world’s biggest—to effect meaningful change absent the synergistic benefits inherent from the collaborative efforts like CA 100+. Wespath Benefits and Investments will continue to assess and hold its asset managers accountable for representing our interests in managing systemic risks like climate change. I know many other responsible asset owners will do the same, and I’m thankful to initiatives like Climate Action 100+ , Ceres, Inc. Principles for Responsible Investment, and Freedom To Invest and others for making space for likeminded investors to collaborate on these issues. This is from 18 or so months ago, but I shared more of my thoughts on the recent anti-ESG movement here: https://lnkd.in/gYaFgwGk Ceres has more on what they’re doing here: https://lnkd.in/gYssSb_5 Jake Barnett, Ryan McQueeney, Kirsty Jenkinson, Juan L., Tim Smith, Günther Thallinger, Adam Matthews, Faith Ward, Brad Lander, Michael Frerichs, Dr Lorna Gold, Mathew Jensen, CFA, Anita Green, State Street Global Advisors, Invesco US, J.P. Morgan, BlackRock, PIMCO

🏆Achieving your financial goals doesn’t need to be at the expense of the planet. Responsible investing is becoming a crucial part of shaping a sustainable future 🏆 What is ESG and why is it important❓ By considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors when investing, you can use your money to make the world a better place and promote long-term sustainability. ✅100% of the fund managers we use are now signatories of the UNPRI (United National Principles for Responsible Investing). ✅Responsible investing isn’t just about the environment, of course. The COVID-19 crisis has turned our attention towards corporate behaviours – both good and bad – and helped illustrate why successful businesses are often those that care about their people, their supply chains and their community. ✅A re-examination of our relationship with the planet and society is a reason why more of us are allocating our savings to sustainable investments and choosing funds that look at ESG factors in our investment processes. How important is ESG investing to you ❓ When was the last time you reviewed your funds to check they were taking into account ESG factors ❓ #financialplanning #pensions #ISA #ESG #environmental #social #governance #investing