Deconstructing ESG Scores: How to Invest with Your Own Criteria? PDF Download

Author: Torsten Ehlers
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 56

View

Book Description
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scores are a key tool for asset managers in designing and implementing ESG investment strategies. They, however, amalgamate a broad range of fundamentally different factors, creating ambiguity for investors as to the underlying drivers of higher or lower ESG scores. We explore the feasibility and performance of more targeted investment strategies based on specific ESG categories, by deconstructing ESG scores into their granular components. First, we investigate the characteristics of the various categories underlying ESG scores. Not all types of ESG categories lend themselves to more focused strategies, which is related to both limits to ESG data disclosure and the fundamental challenge of translating qualitative characteristics into quantitative measures. Second, we consider an investment scheme based on the exclusion of firms with the lowest scores in a given category of interest. In most cases, this strategy allows investors to substantially improve the ESG category score, with a marginal impact on financial performance relative to a broad stock market benchmark. The exclusion results in regional and sectoral biases relative to the benchmark, which may be undesirable for some investors.We then implement a “best-in-class” strategy by excluding firms with the lowest category scores and reinvesting the proceeds in firms with the highest scores, maintaining the same regional and sectoral composition. This approach reduces the tracking error of the portfolio and slightly improves its risk-adjusted performance, while still yielding a large gain in the targeted ESG category score.

Author: Richard Leblanc
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119909279
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 1556

View

Book Description
Explore the practical realities of corporate governance in public, private, and not-for-profit environments In the newly revised third edition of The Handbook of Board Governance: A Comprehensive Guide for Public, Private and Not for Profit Board Members, award-winning professor and lawyer Dr. Richard Leblanc delivers a comprehensive overview of all relevant topics in corporate governance. Each chapter is written by a subject matter expert working in academia or industry and illuminates a different area of board governance: value creation and the strategic role of the Board, risk governance and oversight, board composition and diversity, the role of the board chair, blind spots and trendspotting in the boardroom, audit committee efficacy, and more. This latest edition contains updated coverage of a wide variety of key topics, including: Governing, auditing, and working from home, as well as conducting virtual and hybrid meetings New and necessary skillsets for directors, including contemporary environmental, social, and governance considerations for firms Diversity, equity, and inclusion issues impacting boards and firms, as well as the risks posed by corruption, organized crime, and cyber-crime An essential resource for board members and directors of organizations of all kinds, The Handbook of Board Governance is also an important source of information for managers and executives seeking greater understanding of the role of the board in the day-to-day and long-term management of a modern firm.

Author: Brendan Bradley
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119771110
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 368

View

Book Description
Your guide to investing for a more sustainable world Investing in one’s own future has always been a good financial move. But what if you want to ensure that the companies you have a financial interest in are also helping to improve the present and future of all of us—and of the planet? More than ever before, sustainable investors want to be confident that a company’s Environmental (net zero emissions target), Social (response to the Covid-19 pandemic), and Governance (no repeats of Enron and WorldCom) policies and actions are positively impacting the global outlook—and to identify ways that their dollar can incentivize business leaders to do even better. The worldwide rise of an Environmental, Socially Responsible, and Governance (ESG) approach to investing shows you’re not alone, and the $30+ trillion—and growing—committed in this way says it’s already become a transformative global movement. ESG provides a framework for evaluating companies that, unlike unrelated investment strategies, informs and guides sustainable investment. Even if you’re a novice investor, ESG For Dummies will allow you to hit this new investing landscape running, providing you with measurable ways to factor ESG into company performance, see how these are reflected in your investment return, and show how you can monitor companies to ensure your money is being put to ethical use. You’ll also become familiar with the big names to follow in the ESG world, how they’re already effecting positive change, and how you can help. Identify the drivers for each category of ESG Define and measure material ESG factors for investing success Understand principles for building a diversified sustainable portfolio Recognize material ESG factors effect on company performance ESG investing introduces powerful tools to do real and lasting good: this book shows you how to use them to help make everyone’s future, including your own, much more secure.

Author: Arik Ben Dor
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1394214782
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 423

View

Book Description
A unique perspective on the implications of incorporating ESG considerations in systematic investing In Integrating ESG in Systematic Investing, a team of authors from Barclays’ top-ranked Quantitative Portfolio Strategy group (ranked #1 by Institutional Investor in its 2022 Global Fixed Income Research Survey in both the US and Europe) delivers an insightful and practical discussion of how to reflect ESG considerations in systematic investing. The authors offer a cross-asset class perspective—incorporating both credit and equity markets in the United States, Europe, and China—a unique coverage scope amongst books on this subject. They discuss the interaction between ESG ratings and various other security characteristics, suggest a methodology for isolating the ESG-specific risk premia, analyse the impact of an ESG tilt on systematic strategies and risk factors, and identify several ESG-based signals that are predictive of future performance. You’ll also discover: Analysis of companies in the process of improving their ESG ranking (“ESG improvers”) vs. firms with best-in-class ESG ratings A study using natural language processing (NLP) to predict changes in corporate ESG rankings from company job postings for sustainability-related positions In-depth explorations of ESG equity fund performance and flows and the information content of ESG ratings dispersion across several providers Perfect for portfolio managers including non-quantitative, fundamental investors, risk managers, and research analysts at financial institutions such as asset managers, pension funds, banks, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, and insurance companies, Integrating ESG in Systematic Investing is also a must-read resource for academics with a research interest in the performance and risk implications of ESG investing.

Author: Matthew W. Sherwood
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351361910
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 319

View

Book Description
This textbook provides the first holistic resource on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing for undergraduate and graduate programs. It provides a thorough background and history of ESG investing, as well as cutting-edge industry developments, in a way that introduces the reader to the rapidly developing field of responsible investing. Beginning with a comprehensive background of ESG investing and the development of models measuring risk and return, the book then discusses the development of ESG risks, and provides an overview of ESG rating systems. The textbook also outlines the current position of ESG investing in portfolio management through granular analysis, provides insight into common investor concerns about ESG investments, discloses qualitative theories relevant to ESG investing, and reviews literature attempting to model ESG investment performance. Finally, the authors provide readers with a foundation on the development of financial models measuring risk and return, which will be useful for measuring the performance of ESG investments. With case studies from contributors around the world, this textbook is the first of its kind to truly provide a compelling blend of quantitative and qualitative analysis supporting the incorporation of ESG investment strategies into investment portfolios. Offering an excellent overview of the growing trends in ESG investing, as well as a close analysis of ESG theories and their practical application both today and in the future, this book will be a great resource for both undergraduates and graduate students.

Author: Larry E. Swedroe
Publisher: Harriman House Limited
ISBN: 0857199056
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 175

View

Book Description
Sustainable investing is booming. The investment industry is fast approaching a point where one-third of global assets under management are invested with a sustainable objective. But do sustainable investment products do what investors expect them to do? How can an investor tell if their investments are having the social impact they want? Does that impact come at a financial cost? And how can investors weave their way through the web of confusing acronyms, conflicting agency ratings, and the mass of fund offerings, confident that they can recognize and avoid corporate greenwashing? Larry Swedroe and Sam Adams cut through the fog and bring clarity on all of this and more—providing investors with a firm plan for truly sustainable investing. The authors first define sustainable investing, illuminating the differences between ESG, SRI and impact investing, and reveal who is currently investing sustainably and why. They then move on to a comprehensive review of the academic research. What does the data really say about risk and return in sustainable investing? What performance can you genuinely expect from sustainable investments? And how are today’s sustainable investors using their influence to drive positive changes for society and the environment? Finally, this book arms you with a practical guide to investing sustainably, including how to effectively choose your asset allocation strategy, and select the managers and funds through which your money can create the change you want to see in the world. Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing is the definitive go-to resource that investors have been waiting for.

Author: Becky O'Connor
Publisher: Harriman House Limited
ISBN: 085719951X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 308

View

Book Description
As global governments and regulators set an agenda for net zero carbon emissions, the focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria among investors, from pension scheme members to institutions, is on the rise. The ESG Investing Handbook is an indispensable guide to the history, developments and latest thinking into the future of ESG investing from some of the most influential names in the business. Featuring interviews with: Lisa Beauvilain, Director, Impax Asset Management Tony Burdon, CEO, Make My Money Matter Mark Campanale, Founder & Executive Chairman,Carbon Tracker Amy Clarke, Chief Impact Officer, Tribe Impact Capital Keith Davies, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, Federated Hermes Ltd Bruce Davis, co-founder, Abundance Investment Ingrid Holmes, Director, Green Finance Institute Yan Swiderski, co-founder, Global Returns Project Richard Wilson, CEO interactive investor The Baillie Gifford Global Stewardship Team Expert Editor, Becky O’Connor covers the big questions and key themes, such as the effectiveness of divestment versus engagement strategies for promoting positive change as well as difficult topics, such as greenwash. In this fast-moving and often demanding area for both asset managers and investors, this book will look at some big questions and themes, such as: • Does ESG always boost financial performance? • Is it possible to be good at all three factors at the same time? • Can investors trust ESG ratings?

Author: Pedro Matos
Publisher: CFA Institute Research Foundation
ISBN: 1944960988
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 80

View

Book Description
This survey examines the vibrant academic literature on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. While there is no consensus on the exact list of ESG issues, responsible investors increasingly assess stocks in their portfolios based on nonfinancial data on environmental impact (e.g., carbon emissions), social impact (e.g., employee satisfaction), and governance attributes (e.g., board structure). The objective is to reduce exposure to investments that pose greater ESG risks or to influence companies to become more sustainable. One active area of research at present involves assessing portfolio risk exposure to climate change. This literature review focuses on institutional investors, which have grown in importance such that they have now become the largest holders of shares in public companies globally. Historically, institutional investors tended to concentrate their ESG efforts mostly on corporate governance (the “G” in ESG). These efforts included seeking to eliminate provisions that restrict shareholder rights and enhance managerial power, such as staggered boards, supermajority rules, golden parachutes, and poison pills. Highlights from this section: · There is no consensus on the exact list of ESG issues and their materiality. · The ESG issue that gets the most attention from institutional investors is climate change, in particular their portfolio companies’ exposure to carbon risk and “stranded assets.” · Investors should be positioning themselves for increased regulation, with the regulatory agenda being more ambitious in the European Union than in the United States. Readers might come away from this survey skeptical about the potential for ESG investing to affect positive change. I prefer to characterize the current state of the literature as having a “healthy dose of skepticism,” with much more remaining to be explored. Here, I hope the reader comes away with a call to action. For the industry practitioner, I believe that the investment industry should strive to achieve positive societal goals. CFA Institute provides an exemplary case in its Future of Finance series (www.cfainstitute.org/research/future-finance). For the academic community, I suggest we ramp up research aimed at tackling some of the open questions around the pressing societal goals of ESG investing. I am optimistic that practitioners and academics will identify meaningful ways to better harness the power of global financial markets for addressing the pressing ESG issues facing our society.

Author: Guillaume Coqueret
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 100053653X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 135

View

Book Description
Sustainable investing has recently gained traction throughout the world. This trend has multiple sources, which span from genuine ethical concerns to hopes of performance boosting, and also encompass risk mitigation. The resulting appetite for green assets is impacting the decisions of many investors. Perspectives in Sustainable Equity Investing is an up-to-date review of the academic literature on sustainable equity investing. It covers more than 800 academic sources grouped into six thematic chapters. Designed for corporate sustainability and financial management professionals, this is an ideal reference for ESG-driven financiers (both retail and institutional). Students majoring in finance or economics with some background or interest in ESG concerns would also find this compact overview useful. Key Features: Introduces the reader to terms and nomenclature used in the field. Surveys the link between sustainability and performance (including risk). Details the integration of sustainable criteria in complex portfolio optimization. Reviews the financial liabilities induced by climate change.

Author: Jody Grewal
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781680837186
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 66

View

Book Description
This monograph provides an overview of key papers in the corporate sustainability literature and directions for future research. It is structured on three key themes: measuring, managing and communicating corporate sustainability performance.