The European fund industry has seen only a modest number of sustainability upgrades this year, despite regulatory efforts to clarify sustainability criteria. According to Morningstar, only 35 funds have transitioned from the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation's (SFDR) Article 8 to the more stringent Article 9, with just 15 doing so in the third quarter. Many managers of passive funds aligned with Paris benchmarks and climate transition benchmarks have not felt compelled to upgrade their Article 8 funds. The hesitation among fund managers can be partly attributed to the ongoing changes in SFDR regulations. Analysts are awaiting the final version of guidelines from the European Securities and Markets Authority on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), as well as sustainability terms in fund names, before making any moves. The absence of a standard definition for sustainable investment and potential changes at the EU level also make fund managers wary of prematurely upgrading their funds. The European Commission released a consultation paper in September hinting at a comprehensive overhaul of SFDR, which could further influence fund classification decisions. [917eeba8]
FE fundinfo has partnered with Matter to improve industry access to sustainability fund-level data. The collaboration integrates FE fundinfo's fund portfolio holdings database with Matter's sustainability data, providing insights into the sustainability data dimensions of investment portfolios. Matter's data includes information on emissions, climate commitments, SFDR and EU Taxonomy insights, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) alignment. The partnership allows clients to integrate sustainability and impact data with financial data, empowering users to make informed decisions. The collaboration aims to enhance transparency, accountability, and adherence to reporting standards and regulations in sustainable finance. [1cb3cc45]
In the latest episode of The Ticker podcast by IR Magazine, Noemi Distefano and Giulia Scanferla discuss the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and BAT's experience in double-materiality assessment. Scanferla highlights that CSRD makes sustainability real for all teams across the organization and offers advice on navigating the double-materiality assessment journey. Later in the episode, Garnet Roach speaks with Shell's sustainability manager Alex Annaev about the AI-powered CSRD Chat tool, which aims to simplify companies' understanding of their CSRD responsibilities. The podcast provides insights into cutting-edge issues for investor relations professionals. [7787edfc]
The collaboration between FE fundinfo and Matter aims to enhance access to sustainability fund-level data, allowing clients to integrate sustainability and impact data with financial data. This partnership will provide insights into the sustainability data dimensions of investment portfolios, including emissions, climate commitments, SFDR and EU Taxonomy insights, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) alignment. The integration of FE fundinfo's fund portfolio holdings database with Matter's sustainability data will empower users to make informed decisions and enhance transparency, accountability, and adherence to reporting standards and regulations in sustainable finance. [1cb3cc45]
Additionally, in a recent episode of The Ticker podcast, Noemi Distefano and Giulia Scanferla discuss the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and BAT's experience in double-materiality assessment. The podcast highlights the significance of CSRD in making sustainability real for all teams across organizations and provides advice on navigating the double-materiality assessment journey. The episode also features an interview with Shell's sustainability manager Alex Annaev, who discusses the AI-powered CSRD Chat tool that aims to simplify companies' understanding of their CSRD responsibilities. The podcast offers valuable insights into current issues in investor relations. [7787edfc]
The partnership between FE fundinfo and Matter will contribute to the ongoing efforts to improve industry access to sustainability fund-level data. By integrating FE fundinfo's fund portfolio holdings database with Matter's sustainability data, the collaboration will provide clients with comprehensive insights into the sustainability dimensions of investment portfolios. This includes information on emissions, climate commitments, SFDR and EU Taxonomy insights, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) alignment. The aim is to empower users to make informed decisions and enhance transparency, accountability, and adherence to reporting standards and regulations in sustainable finance. [1cb3cc45]