Listing

At a ceremony held on 4 February 2026 at the Assemblée nationale, Dominique Potier, Meurthe-et-Moselle deputy and rapporteur for the Duty of Vigilance Directive, hosted the 8th FIR / A2 Consulting Award Ceremony, which recognises a CAC 40 company each year for the quality of its vigilance plan

Aurélia Smotriez, chair of the 2025 jury, handed the trophy to Gilles Vermot Desroches, Group Director of Citizenship at Schneider Electric.

What were the jury's focus areas this year? The regulatory context and the maturity of both the companies and the Award itself justified the jury's emphasis on certain criteria.

• Governance of the duty of vigilance
• The alert system put in place
• Dialogue with stakeholders
• The policy to combat climate change

It should be noted that this is the second time that Schneider Electric has been given the award, after winning first place in 2020.

Since 2021, through several position statements, the Forum for Responsible Investment (FIR) has been
calling for the widespread adoption of demanding Say on Climate (SOC) as a pragmatic tool for dialogue
aimed at helping companies improve their climate strategies.

At the same time, continuing its work over the last four years, the FIR is renewing its partnership with ADEME in 2026 to produce analyses of the climate strategies of European companies (including the United Kingdom and Switzerland) that submit them to a vote of their shareholders at annual general meetings. To this end, FIR and ADEME will once again be supported by the Ethos Foundation and the World Benchmarking Alliance, which are responsible for European assessments outside France based on the ACT methodology. While the FIR focuses more on assessing corporate transparency, the ACT methodology aims to analyze both the ambition and credibility of climate plans.

To kick off the 2026 season, an initial joint analysis by the FIR and ADEME focuses on the climate strategy
of OVHcloud, which has been put to a vote by its shareholders at the company general meeting on February 12.

Assessing 3,500 companies in developed markets

Focal points

• The report shows gender-equality scores still improving, but leadership thresholds are rising faster; the Top 100 cut-off reached 71% in 2026, up from 63% in 2022.
• Women remain underrepresented in the most senior roles, with CEO and workforce representation unchanged year-on-year even as other organisational levels improved.
• Regional dispersion is widening: Australia, the UK and France dominate the Top 100, while US companies are retreating in both performance and transparency.

Contents

… includes …

• Key findings & Top 100 ranking
• Top 100 companies
• Country ranking
• Gender balance
• Gender pay gap
• Company policies
• Country analysis

[Selected by Mike (54) | Summarised by Sonnet 4.6 | Human-directed; AI-powered]

The Advertising industry is not directly an emissions-intensive sector. However, its role in driving consumption patterns – including overall levels of consumption – makes it an important part of a transition to a net zero world.

This report benchmarks the climate transition performance of six of the world’s largest advertising agencies: Dentsu, Havas, Interpublic Group (IPG), Omnicom, Publicis, and WPP.

The report evaluates these companies across emissions performance, value chain engagement, governance and policy alignment, risk assessment and capital allocation. The goal is to provide financial institutions with a clear picture of their transition readiness and potential climate-related risks and opportunities.

Before publishing a series of posts that I have written on the subject “Can AI save sustainable investment?” I thought it might be interesting to take the temperature of the sustainable investment value chain.

In this respect, I would love to hear perspectives from investors and research providers (either in comments or via DM) on three topics:

Sustainability outcomes: Are the risks and opportunities presented by AI to society and environment:

• Strongly weighted towards downside risks
• Somewhat weighted towards downside risks
• Evenly-balanced / too early to tell
• Somewhat weighted towards upside opportunities
• Strongly weighted towards upside opportunities

Answer via here on LinkedIn

Sustainable investment portfolios: Are the risks and opportunities presented by AI to the value of the investment universes within which you invest:

• Strongly weighted towards downside risks
• Somewhat weighted towards downside risks
• Evenly-balanced / too early to tell
• Somewhat weighted towards upside opportunities
• Strongly weighted towards upside opportunities

Answer via here on LinkedIn

Sustainable investment practices: Does AI present your sustainable investment processes with, on balance:

• Transformative opportunities and advantages
• More opportunities and advantages than risks and disadvantages
• A balance of risks and opportunities
• More risks and disadvantages than opportunities and advantages
• Existential risks and disadvantages

Answer via here on LinkedIn

"We talk pension fund citizen’s assemblies, ShareAction's 2026 voting recommendations, and air pollution as a growing risk."

"Catherine discusses:

• How and why ShareAction is campaigning for more pension fund mini-publics as Nest, the giant UK pension fund, carries one out itself.
• What ShareAction’s major shareholding voting recommendations are for 2026, and why?
• The pushback on physical AGMs and why ShareAction is fighting against it.
• Air pollution: an under-discussed issue with major public health ramifications, and tightening policy and legal frameworks.
• How Catherine and the team at ShareAction keep motivated and passionate during these difficult times of ESG pushback."

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For the past year, FIR and WeeFin have been providing investors with a document listing open source ESG data sources.

At the start of this year, a new version is now available!

Topics covered include biodiversity, transport, construction, coal, gender equality, human rights, natural ecosystems, deforestation, oil and gas, health, chemical footprint, and more.

New sources will be added as they become available.

3rd March 2026: The Annual Report 2025 describes Saab’s important role in driving innovation to support increased resilience, security and sustainability. It outlines how Saab is delivering on its strategy to contribute to safer societies and strengthening its customers defence capabilities in times of geopolitical uncertainty.

In the report Saab also presents its sustainability efforts during 2025. For the first time this report is compliant with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Saab’s ambition to be a sustainability leader in the defence industry remains. 

Board composition continues to evolve, while leadership roles experience fluctuation 

Female representation on corporate boards continued to grow globally in 2025, though the pace of growth increasingly varied by market, sector and company structure.

At a global level, women held 28.3% of board seats at large- and mid-cap companies, up one percentage point from the previous year, and 48.7% of companies reached at least 30% female representation as of October 2025.

With board representation becoming more established, future trends may depend less on targets and more on governance structures such as representation in leadership roles and committee composition.

Now in its 16th year, Women on Boards and Beyond examines those pathways with new analysis of board committees, ownership structures and director classifications.

"The share of defence-related companies in European sustainable fund portfolios has increased significantly over the past year, according to new analysis from Clarity AI, the leading global sustainability technology company.

One of the more pronounced increases was observed among funds disclosing under Article 8 of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), where average exposure to companies involved in armament production rose by nearly 60%, from 0.9% of average portfolio weight in the last quarter of 2024 to 1.42% by the last quarter of 2025.

The data shows that this shift has occurred across all SFDR fund types, including Article 6, Article 8, and Article 9 funds."

Geopolitical tensions and evolving security priorities have pushed defence up the investment agenda, challenging assumptions shaped by decades of the “peace dividend”. European governments are now rebuilding capability on a sustained basis, marking a material change in the outlook for the sector. Against this backdrop, understanding how defence fits within sustainable investment frameworks has become increasingly important.

We live in a world where wars, civil strife, and geopolitical tensions have an increasing influence on markets. There are plenty of geopolitics consultants ready to help investors with advice and even more strategists who pretend to know how to play markets in a time of geopolitical tensions.....

Focal points of the report

• UK Stewardship Code disclosure covering the 12-month period to 31 December 2024, setting out EdenTree’s sustainable investment approach and stewardship framework.
• Highlights enhancements to engagement tracking and reporting, and sets thematic engagement priorities including a Just Transition, Climate Transition, Water Stress, Social and Financial Inclusion, and (new) Good Governance.
• Summarises 2024 voting activity: 5,106 proposals eligible, 99.8% voted, 87% supported, 11% opposed, across 328 meetings (249 meetings with at least one vote against management).
• Describes escalation practices including pre-declaring votes on the PRI Resolution Database and publishing refreshed Corporate Governance and Voting Policy.

Sustainability issues of focus

The following sustainability issues feature significantly within this report:

• Just transition
• Climate transition
• Water stress
• Social inclusion
• Financial inclusion
• Good governance

Sector of focus

The following sectors issues feature significantly within this report:

• Information Technology
• Health Care
• Financials
• Real Estate
• Industrials

Engagement highlights

• Enhanced stewardship reporting via a proprietary engagement tracking and research database to increase transparency on objectives, timelines, progress and outcomes.
• Added Good Governance to core thematic engagement priorities, alongside Climate Transition, Water Stress, and Social and Financial Inclusion themes.
• Continued to pre-declare voting intentions publicly via the PRI Resolution Database as a form of escalation.
• Reported achieving five stars across all modules in the latest PRI assessment for responsible investment signatories.

Other content of note

In addition to the points noted above, this report addresses:

• Published a Diversity & Inclusion policy and commitment in 2024, including targets and monitoring against progress.
• Provides ‘votes of interest’ examples linked to thematic priorities, including AI-related shareholder proposals at Apple, Alphabet and Microsoft.
• Describes partnerships and collaborative initiatives used to raise standards and support collective action.
• Explains the firm’s investment beliefs and how engagement and voting are used throughout the investment process.

Data points

• Publication date: Not clear
• Period covered: From 01-01-2024 to 31-12-2024

Focal points of the report

• Provides a quarterly update on MFS sustainability and stewardship activity, noting no material changes to overarching practices or policies in Q4 2025.
• Extends AI power-demand analysis to international markets, identifying physical climate risk, water stress and electricity constraints as material hurdles in some regions.
• Summarises updates to proxy voting policy and guidelines, including clearer structure and a more nuanced review of boards with 20–24% female director representation.
• Highlights recent engagements on carbon pricing and decarbonisation, cocoa supply-chain resilience, responsible AI governance and safer gambling/compliance.

Sustainability issues of focus

The following sustainability issues feature significantly within this report:

• Physical climate risk
• Water stress
• Energy transition
• Carbon pricing risk
• Responsible AI governance
• Supply chain resilience

Sector of focus

The following sectors issues feature significantly within this report:

• Capital Goods
• Consumer Staples
• Technology
• Consumer Cyclicals
• Utilities

Engagement highlights

• Engaged a European specialty chemicals company on hydrogen strategy, carbon-pricing exposure, board composition and executive incentives.
• Engaged a packaged food company on cocoa supply-chain resilience, farmer support and packaging regulation.
• Engaged an American technology company on responsible AI governance, disclosure and board-level oversight structures.
• Engaged a European betting and gaming company on regulatory compliance, safer gambling measures and the integration of ESG metrics into remuneration.

Other content of note

In addition to the points noted above, this report addresses:

• Annual sustainability offsite in London covered climate transition plan analysis, engagement best practices and collaboration between fixed income and equity teams.
• A deep dive into carbon markets (pricing and regulation) is identified as a focus area for 2026.
• Proxy voting guidelines were restructured to remove market-specific examples and to clarify assessment of stock plan dilution and board diversity expectations.
• Provides organisational detail on dedicated sustainability, stewardship, legal and compliance resources (as of 31-Dec-25).

Data points

• Publication date: Not clear
• Period covered: From 01-10-2025 to 31-12-2025

Focal points of the report

• Explains how responsible investment is used to safeguard long-term value for the Government Pension Fund Global, linking sustainability and governance to financial performance.
• Highlights the updated Climate action plan towards 2030, with engagement-led actions on climate and nature risk and support for portfolio company transition to net zero emissions by 2050.
• Reports energy transition investment activity, including adding 2,640 MW of renewable electricity generation capacity and investing in Germany's largest electricity transmission operator.
• Summarises ownership and market activities in 2025, including 3,198 company meetings, 108,325 votes at 10,873 meetings, advocacy to improve sustainability reporting, and use of AI to enhance risk monitoring.

Sustainability issues of focus

The following sustainability issues feature significantly within this report:

• Climate risk management
• Net zero transition
• Nature and biodiversity risk
• Sustainability reporting
• Market standards
• AI-enabled risk monitoring

Sector of focus

The following sectors issues feature significantly within this report:

• Utilities
• Real Estate
• Energy
• Information Technology

Engagement highlights

• Engagement-led Climate action plan sets actions and milestones for climate and nature risk and the energy transition.
• 3,198 company meetings held in 2025 to support dialogue and ownership priorities.
• Voting activity covered 108,325 proposals at 10,873 shareholder meetings, alongside publication of a standalone voting review.
• Engagement with standard setters and regulators to improve global alignment and reduce complexity in sustainability reporting.

Other content of note

In addition to the points noted above, this report addresses:

• Reports 40% of the unlisted real estate portfolio aligned with a 1.5C decarbonisation pathway and a 40% emissions-intensity reduction target by 2030 (2019 baseline).
• Notes a 25% reduction in unlisted real estate operational carbon emission intensity between 2019 and 2024.
• Describes advocacy to simplify sustainability reporting and focus disclosures on financially material information by industry.
• Highlights use of AI to expand the information analysed for investment and risk decisions, including risk-based divestments and reversals.

Data points

• Publication date: 26-02-2026
• Period covered: From 01-01-2025 to 31-12-2025

Focal points of the report

• Explains Boston Trust Walden's integrated ESG research process using McCormick & Company as a case study, with securities and ESG analysts evaluating risks and opportunities together.
• Identifies financially material ESG themes for global food manufacturers, including sustainable sourcing, supply-chain resilience, product quality and safety, consumer health trends and labour practices.
• Details McCormick's "Grown for Good" sourcing framework and progress on sustainably sourced key ingredients to strengthen resilience and product differentiation.
• Summarises operational targets and progress on emissions, water and waste, and how ESG analysis supported retaining McCormick on the approved list.

Sustainability issues of focus

The following sustainability issues feature significantly within this report:

• Sustainable sourcing
• Supply chain resilience
• Product quality and safety
• Consumer health and wellness
• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Water stewardship

Sector of focus

The following sectors issues feature significantly within this report:

• Consumer Staples
• Food Products
• Packaged Foods

Engagement highlights

• The report focuses on internal ESG analysis and investment decision-making; issuer engagement activity is not described.
• No voting outcomes or collaborative engagement metrics are reported.

Other content of note

In addition to the points noted above, this report addresses:

• Uses SASB materiality guidance alongside internal research to frame ESG risk and opportunity assessment.
• Describes competitive dynamics in the retail herbs and spices category and the role of premium pricing and shelf-space economics.
• Notes science-based targets for emissions reduction and targets for water use and waste recycling.
• Highlights the role of health and wellness product positioning in McCormick's strategy.

Data points

• Publication date: Not clear
• Period covered: From 01-10-2025 to 31-12-2025

Focal points

• Climate Action 100+ is described as covering 165 of the highest emitting companies (~$16tn market cap), with Energy, Materials, Utilities and Industrials representing 82% of the universe.
• Disclosure and target setting are reported as broadly strong: 94% align with disclosure standards (e.g., TCFD/IFRS S2), 97% disclose Scope 1–2 emissions, nearly nine in ten disclose Scope 3, and 94% report GHG reduction targets.
• Proxy-season scrutiny is expected to focus on standards-aligned disclosure, transition planning, credible mid‑ and long‑term targets, and evidence of progress, with climate board oversight a key governance lens.
• ISS voting analysis cited shows climate oversight concerns are less common than broader governance issues but are associated with lower support levels where flagged, reinforcing the value of proactive engagement and disclosure.

Contents

… includes …

• Global Overview of Climate Action 100+ Companies
• Climate-Related Disclosure and Emissions Targets Among Climate Action 100+ Companies
• Potential Implications for Proxy Season
• How High-Emitting Companies Can Strengthen Climate Governance in 2026
• How ISS-Corporate Can Help

The global shift to clean energy and sustainable transportation is inseparable from access to rare earth minerals and other critical raw materials. Technologies – such as wind turbines, electric vehicles (EVs), and solar panels – rely on these elements to achieve high performance, lightweight design, and maximum efficiency. Without them, large-scale production of permanent magnets, advanced batteries, and efficient photovoltaic cells would be impossible.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) underscores this dependency: an average EV requires six times more minerals than a conventional car, while onshore wind turbines demand up to nine times more mineral resources than gas-fired power plants. This mineral intensity makes supply security a strategic priority for the energy transition.

• The proportion of Nordic companies integrating E&S performance metrics into executive pay schemes continues to increase, reaching an inclusion rate of 58% in 2025 (up from 50% in 2024 and 41% in 2023).
• Generally, the inclusion of E&S metrics is even higher among Nordic main index companies; the majority of these companies that incorporate E&S metrics utilize a combination of both environmental and social indicators.
• Among the Nordic countries, Denmark exhibited the highest rate of E&S metrics incorporation in 2025 at 78%, while Sweden, at 47%, lagged behind its Nordic counterparts.
• A greater proportion of Nordic companies integrate E&S metrics into their short-term incentive programs than into long-term programs; however, Finland represents an exception to this trend, generally demonstrating a higher degree of E&S inclusion within long-term incentive programs.
• Although an increasing trend of E&S incorporation is evident in the Nordics across most sectors, resource-intensive industries demonstrate a higher proportion of E&S metric utilization within their executive compensation structures. Nonetheless, service-based sectors are also experiencing a significant increase in E&S integration.

Focal points

• UK nuclear capacity is described as having declined over recent decades, with Sizewell B (opened 1995) cited as the most recent plant built, while Sizewell C received a construction green light in June 2025.
• A September 2025 UK government announcement framed a 'golden age' of nuclear, including a joint development agreement between X‑Energy and Centrica to deploy Xe‑100 advanced modular reactors at Hartlepool.
• Centrica's nuclear positioning is reinforced via a 15% stake in Sizewell C and reported efforts to extend life for existing assets, while Rolls‑Royce's SMR programme is highlighted as benefiting from government backing.
• Nuclear remains contested within ESG, but rising power demand (including from data centres and electrification) is presented as supporting a more pragmatic investor stance in some sustainability strategies.

Contents

… includes …

• Nuclear capacity and new build pipeline
• Corporate investment and SMR deployment plans
• Nuclear power and ESG considerations

Focal points

• Environmental Finance estimates labelled sustainable debt markets contracted by about 20% in 2025, as 2026 begins with a more challenging issuance backdrop.
• Green bonds continue to dominate labelled bond issuance (over 60% by volume), while sustainability‑linked bonds are reported to have fallen 24% versus 2024 and represented ~3% of labelled bonds in 2025.
• In labelled loans, sustainability‑linked loans represent ~40% of volume and green loans ~33%, highlighting different market dynamics versus bonds.
• Transition-labelled guidance released in late 2025 (LMA Transition Loans Guide; ICMA climate transition bond guidance) and EU Green Bond Regulation interpretation notes are positioned as key developments for 2026.

Contents

… includes …

• Market and Regulatory Highlights

Focal points

• ISSB published targeted amendments to IFRS S2 (Dec 2025), including clarifications on financed emissions disclosure and permitted deviations where local rules require or allow alternatives.
• TNFD issued eight recommendations (Nov 2025) to upgrade the nature data value chain, including a proposed Nature Data Public Facility and standards for metadata, licensing and data sharing.
• GRI opened a public consultation (Dec 2025) on labour-related standards, with proposed updates on due diligence, incident reporting and grievance mechanisms; consultation closes 9 March 2026.
• EU and national updates include a December 2025 political agreement to simplify CSRD/CSDDD scope and new guidance on ESG stress testing and fund naming/claims aimed at reducing greenwashing risk.

Contents

… includes …

• ISSB
• TNFD
• GRI
• Malaysia
• China
• Korea
• Australia
• EU

Key Takeaways

• While emissions disclosure has expanded significantly, data credibility—using the principles defined by the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) standards—remains uneven across regions and sectors.
• European and other developed‑market issuers, particularly in high‑impact industries, continue to lead in third‑party verification, which reinforces the reliability of reported emissions. However, developing markets are narrowing the gap as verification practices improve.
• For investors, these patterns highlight the availability of verified emissions disclosure across key sectors and may prove critical to transforming climate disclosures into trusted, decision‑useful insights for global capital markets.

The sustainable finance market continues to evolve rapidly, with green, social, and sustainability bonds now well-established as key instruments for channelling capital toward environmental and social objectives.

In June 2025, the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) advanced this trend by issuing the Sustainable Bonds for Nature: A Practitioner’s Guide, which formally endorses the “nature bond” label as a subset of the green bond market.

This initiative aims to respond to the global biodiversity crisis by scaling up financing for nature-related projects and providing clarity for issuers, investors and Second Party Opinion (SPO) providers.

Focal points

• Culture is framed as 'intangible capital' that can shape financial outcomes, supported by Oxford research commissioned by MFS.
• Using NLP on 627,000 earnings calls across 5,900 U.S. firms (2002–2021), five cultural signals are quantified: innovation, integrity, quality, respect and teamwork.
• Innovation is highlighted as the strongest return signal, with the analysis citing a cumulative long‑short excess return of ~102% over the sample and higher premia in crisis periods.
• Teamwork and integrity are described as context-dependent: often penalised in normal markets but providing resilience, lower volatility and stronger payoffs during systemic stress.

Contents

… includes …

• Why Culture Matters Now
• The Hidden Capital
• Three Stories That Matter
• Innovation: A Signal of Adaptability
• Teamwork: Quiet Resilience
• Integrity: Stability at a Cost
• Case Study: Compass Group – Culture as an Execution Advantage
• The Future of Investing

Focal points

• A 2050 scenario is framed as 'energy addition', where solar scales rapidly on top of a persistent fossil base rather than replacing it, lifting electrification from 35% to 60% of final energy demand.
• Geopolitical fragmentation is described as shifting incentives from a 'green premium' to a 'security premium', with regions backing local, reliable power mixes even as fossil fuels fade slowly.
• With emissions still above 30Gt in 2050, the pathway implies ~2°C warming, driving large adaptation energy demand (around one‑tenth of supply) alongside further system losses from climate impacts.
• Late-stage adaptation pressure could drive consideration of geoengineering (e.g., stratospheric aerosols) and large-scale direct air capture, with portfolio stress tests focused on technology-stack alignment and climate-volatility clustering.

Contents

… includes …

• Introduction
• The road to abundance
• Abundance in a hotter climate
• Last resort solutions
• What this means for investors

Focal points

• A proprietary energy-transition scoring assessment is outlined, with analysts scoring six risk/opportunity metrics per business on a -2 to +2 scale and aggregating these to company-level scores.
• The 2025 iteration adds base, slow and rapid transition scenarios over a three- to four-year horizon and expands sector-level analysis to map policy and technology dependencies in high-impact sectors.
• The exercise covers ~2,500 securities across equities and investment grade and high yield credit, drawing on input from 70 analysts across regions.
• Compared with earlier iterations, aggregate results show more areas of opportunity and fewer negative impacts, with utilities viewed as beneficiaries of electrification and rising power demand, while energy remains among the most negatively impacted sectors.

Contents

… includes …

• Introduction
• Energy transition scoring framework
• 2025 energy transition scoring assessment results: key findings

(Selected by Andy | Summarised by Sonnet 4.6 | Human-directed; AI-powered)

Climate change and the energy transition are multi-decadal themes that are shaping the world we live in, with wide-ranging implications for investors.

Focal points

• Climate investing is described as evolving from exclusions to thematic allocations, net zero methodologies and, most recently, transition finance aimed at supporting high-emitting companies on credible pathways.
• A spectrum of approaches is outlined: integrating material climate risks and opportunities into investment research, implementing net zero-aligned strategy commitments, and allocating capital under transition finance definitions.
• Net zero approaches are positioned as needing more than footprint targeting, with frameworks combining emissions trajectories, forward-looking alignment indicators and stewardship to support real-world change.
• Columbia Threadneedle's approach is summarised across corporates, real estate and sovereign bonds, using proprietary alignment models and portfolio-level engagement and monitoring practices.

Contents

… includes …

• A spectrum of investment options
• Integrating material climate risk and opportunity into investment
• Defining Net Zero investing
• Net Zero investing – Columbia Threadneedle's approach
• Our net zero methodologies
• Net Zero and Transition Finance: how do they relate?

Focal points

• Asia-Pacific is presented as a key 2026 allocation theme, with Asia equities outperforming in 2025 and valuation and ownership dynamics suggesting potential for continued rotation into the region.
• Asia credit outperformance is linked to stronger fundamentals and lower leverage, alongside contrasting AI‑related issuance dynamics between US hyperscalers and Asian tech supply-chain issuers.
• For sustainable investors, Asia is positioned as the centre of transition technology supply chains, with opportunities highlighted in AI, energy storage, distributed solar and smart grids.
• Taxonomy and disclosure convergence (e.g., ASEAN taxonomy, Common Ground Taxonomy work) is framed as supportive of cross-border capital flows and differentiated transition-finance opportunities.

Contents

… includes …

• Asia-Pacific equities revealing their potential
• Asia credit outperforms US
• Cross-border capital allocation
• Sustainable themes can be an extra alpha generator

[Selected by Mike (54) | Summarised by Sonnet 4.6 | Human-directed; AI-powered]

Focal points

• The chemical industry's dependence on water is framed as a material financial risk as water stress intensifies; the sector is estimated to account for 5–10% of global freshwater withdrawals.
• A 3‑step stress test models a 10% water-supply shock in 2030 across four global chemical companies, showing that modest production losses can translate into outsized declines in EBITDA and equity NPV.
• A 'resilience paradox' is highlighted: firms with strong operational continuity can still suffer the largest shareholder value destruction due to thin margins, high fixed costs and leverage.
• Investor actions proposed include engaging for absolute withdrawal reduction targets, embedding local water-stress scenarios into valuation work, and prioritising companies that integrate water availability into capex and site selection.

Contents

… includes …

• Chemicals and water – an intensifying relationship
• Water pressure – scarcity is reducing GDP
• Purpose and rationale
• Results and analysis of the 3-step 'stress-test'
• Aggregated comparison across companies
• Addressing water-related risks in portfolios
• Conclusion

[Selected by Mike (54) | Summarised by Sonnet 4.6 | Human-directed; AI-powered]

Focal points

• Green versus brown outperformance is framed as a mix of earnings expectations and changes in the cost of capital, not simply realised operating performance differences.
• Post‑Paris, US brown companies' cost of capital rose relative to green peers, but US policy reversals in a second Trump term narrowed the gap and provided a valuation and returns boost for US carbon‑intensive firms.
• The analysis distinguishes 'climate leaders' from 'laggards', arguing that companies with credible decarbonisation plans can still see improving earnings prospects even as policy support weakens in the US.
• The overall takeaway is that climate investing outcomes are shaped by repriced risks, politics and growth expectations, rather than a single clean‑versus‑dirty story.

Contents

… includes …

• Focusing on the cost of capital
• So what's been happening in reality?
• Trump 2.0: Rolling back the rules
• Climate leaders versus laggards
• Has it paid off?

[Selected by Mike (54) | Summarised by Sonnet 4.6 | Human-directed; AI-powered]

Focal points

• A renewed emphasis on national sovereignty is presented as a driver of a more pragmatic sustainability agenda, expanding from defence into energy, security, innovation and climate-related resilience.
• European strategic autonomy is linked to investable priorities spanning climate, health, food and water access risks, alongside competitiveness and infrastructure needs.
• Eight factors are highlighted as influencing sovereignty and aligning with sustainability themes, supported by initiatives such as the European Green Deal, the European Chips Act and Food 2030.
• Across these factors, a €500bn market opportunity over the next four years is cited (notably in software and systems, aerospace, automotive, electronics, telecoms and logistics).

Contents

… includes …

• Eight factors impacting European sovereignty

[Selected by Mike (54) | Summarised by Sonnet 4.6 | Human-directed; AI-powered]

Focal points

• Rapid growth in data centres is highlighted as a sign of accelerating digitalisation, raising questions about whether supporting safeguards are scaling at the same pace.
• Five priority 'building blocks' for resilient digital infrastructure are set out: continuity and reliability; security and privacy; inclusion; health safeguards; and workforce skills and upskilling.
• Two data points underline the resilience gap: around one‑third of the global population still lacks internet access, while weekly cyber attacks per organisation more than doubled since 2021 to 1,984 in 2025.
• Digital resilience is framed as a prerequisite for sustaining innovation while supporting broader climate, planetary and social transition outcomes.

Contents

… includes …

• Building blocks of resilient digital future
• Did you know

[Selected by Mike (54) | Summarised by Sonnet 4.6 | Human-directed; AI-powered]

Focal points

• AI adoption is accelerating, increasing the need for investor dialogue on how companies balance innovation with governance, safeguards and oversight.
• A structured engagement framework is set out across governance and board oversight, risk and opportunity assessment, transparency, environmental impacts, workforce and skills, and regulatory compliance.
• Company engagement is positioned as the most effective way to understand AI strategy in practice, including how use cases are approved and where human-only decision-making is retained.
• Reporting on responsible AI governance is described as lagging development, creating a focus for investors to push for clearer disclosure of governance structures and accountability.

Contents

… includes …

• Engagement framework for responsible AI
• Engagement is the most effective way to understand strategy
• Reporting significantly lags development

[Selected by Mike (54) | Summarised by Sonnet 4.6 | Human-directed; AI-powered]

Focal points

• ESG ratings remain a widely used framework for assessing issuers, but reliance on third‑party providers can create resilience and continuity risks as services consolidate or disappear.
• Using ratings alone can create blind spots; combining aggregated scores with underlying KPIs and controversy screening helps avoid missing governance or social risks.
• New transparency requirements for ESG rating providers are intended to improve comparability and reduce greenwashing concerns, while reinforcing the role of proprietary assessments.
• Improved corporate reporting (e.g., CSRD/ISSB) and AI-enabled data collection are positioned as key forces reshaping ESG ratings, alongside proprietary scoring tools such as AllianzGI's PSS.

Contents

… includes …

• ESG ratings: a compass for investors
• Avoiding the blind spot
• A new era of transparency
• A future powered by CSRD x AI
• Evolution not revolution

[Selected by Mike (54) | Summarised by Sonnet 4.6 | Human-directed; AI-powered]

As a Senior Sustainability Analyst, you will play a key role in advancing Broadridge’s sustainability strategy and driving progress toward near-term and long-term emissions reduction goals. In this role, you will lead the development of supplier engagement program and contribute to disclosures aligned with global sustainability frameworks. You will collaborate with internal stakeholders and external partners to deliver accurate insights, identify opportunities for improvement, and recommend strategies that drive meaningful progress toward Broadridge’s environmental commitments.

Macmillan is seeking a Sustainability Specialist to support its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) program. This role will be key in driving sustainable business practices and strategies to help Macmillan achieve its environmental targets. The Specialist will collaborate across various teams to ensure the company meets its sustainability goals, adheres to environmental regulations, and integrates eco-friendly practices into daily operations.  Reports to the Director, ESG. 

You will join the ESG analyst team within the Fixed Income platform, to perform the following:

-Labeled Bond Research and Analysis: perform the ESG assessment of Green Social and Sustainable bonds (GSSB) according to BNPPAM internal framework and taxonomy. Provide opinions on new and recurring issuances when announced in the market. Maintain the database and processes linked to the assessment framework in collaboration with RI Techno.
-Coordination: Assist the coordination work within the Fixed Income and Core Investment platforms (meeting preparation and follow up, internal stakeholder management, coordination with other teams, etc)....

You will work collaboratively with our investment professionals to integrate sustainability considerations into our investment process including engaging with our investee companies on ESG issues. In this capacity you will work across the IM platform globally, with an initial focus our UK and European based investment teams. You will contribute to the development of Fidelity’s global sustainable investment frameworks and solutions. You will also work with client-facing teams to evidence the ESG integration process to our clients and consultants, particularly those based in the UK and Europe, acting as an ESG spokesperson both internally and externally.

This is a 12- month fixed term contract.

As a Sustainable Investing Analyst (AVP), you will report to the Head of Sustainable Investing Operations and will be responsible for the following:

-Play a leading role in the firm’s reporting to satisfy sustainable investing-related disclosure frameworks and external commitments
-Help meet sustainable investing-related regulatory obligations in various....

End Date:

Tuesday 17 March 2026

12 Month Fixed Term Contract

To identify, develop, and embed an approach to managing Barclays' sustainability-related risks, strategy, and ambitions; and supporting the banks’ business objectives, priorities, and regulatory requirements.

-Oversee the development of the EMEA risk management framework for ESG in collaboration with partners in other regions, Tokyo, within EMEA and with the first line of defence.
-Understand evolving regulatory and other stakeholder expectations and propose solutions to management that will continue to promote EMEA and MUFG’s ESG ambitions from both a business and risk perspective.
-Work closely with the Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer to ensure the risk framework meets the ambitions as agreed by the EMEA Sustainability Committee.
-Provide cover and support to other areas of the team and wider ERM responsibilities.

You will have the opportunity to manage project deliverables and have ownership of transformational topics, specifically within transition finance and net zero. A key feature of the role is close cross-divisional collaboration with all IBCM business units, as well as with the Chief Sustainability Office, IBCM and Global Communication teams, and the Chief Financial Office.

You will be part of a highly visible team with a direct impact on the execution of our product roadmap and vision, helping to deliver trendsetting products focused on Emissions & Environmental Data.

You will interact with internal partners to identify opportunities and respond with meaningful enhancements.

As Head of Sustainable Index Product, you will be responsible for the strategy, growth, governance, and risk management of Bloomberg’s ESG, Climate, and Sustainable index offerings. You will lead a global index product team within the Enterprise Data Product division and act as a senior control owner, balancing client demand and commercial objectives with regulatory and governance requirements.

Associate, Signatory Operations - Beijing
Principles for Responsible Investment
Employment Type Full time Please note, where PRI has an office there is an expectation to work a minimum of 2 days per week
Location Hybrid · Beijing, China

Team Signatory Operations
Seniority Junior
Closing: 11:59pm, 1st Mar 2026 KST

What you will be responsible for:

-Lead and conduct research on sustainable investing themes, including emerging topics such as natural capital and biodiversity, with a focus on building the associated investment thesis behind these topics
-Develop thought leadership pieces to demonstrate State Street Investment Management’s sustainable investing capabilities, focusing on financial materiality
-Enable sustainable investing product innovation by developing and supporting credible implementation methodologies to new investment approaches, e.g., sustainable outcome investing
-Partner with PM teams to conduct asset class-specific research on sustainability factors and to support client solutions

This is a critical role as part of our commitment to innovation and relevance in Sustainable and Transition Finance. The position will lead a global team of direct, commission-based sales professionals across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas to deliver against sales targets, including new sales, revenue growth, market coverage, and customer retention.

As Head of Sustainable Index Product, you will be responsible for the strategy, growth, governance, and risk management of Bloomberg’s ESG, Climate, and Sustainable index offerings. You will lead a global index product team within the Enterprise Data Product division and act as a senior control owner, balancing client demand and commercial objectives with regulatory and governance requirements.

As a Research Analyst, the candidate will work closely with our Global Equity Research and Data Science groups which provides in-depth company, sector and macro expertise to identify investment recommendations and emerging industry trends for the firm.

• Horizon Environmental & Climate Solutions, Associate

The primary duties of this role include:  

-Internal and external ESG and sustainability reporting, including responsibility for data quality, transparency, assurance and alignment with best practice frameworks and regulatory requirements (e.g. TCFD, EPRA best practices, SECR, GRI and ISSB). 
-Determine relevant ESG benchmarks, prepare submissions and manage relationships with benchmark providers......

We’re seeking a Senior Manager – Sustainability (Water) to guide and grow our water stewardship, nature strategy, and beyond-value-chain mitigation work across our markets. This is a high impact role at a pivotal time, ideal for someone who blends technical sustainability expertise with strategic thinking, partnership-building, and a desire to create measurable change.

Unilever is seeking a dedicated expert to strengthen its capacity for standards and frameworks engagement and advocacy across its climate and nature goals. This role will ensure alignment and coordination across internal teams and be a strong external voice in shaping global standards and frameworks such as the GHG Protocol, Science Based Targets initiative, Science Based Targets for Nature and key certification schemes.

We are seeking an experienced Director, Sustainable Research & Analytics to join the Sustainable Leadership team at FTSE Russell, a fully owned subsidiary of London Stock Exchange Group. The role reports directly to the Global Head of Sustainable. This is a pivotal role in ensuring the integrity, relevance and strategic value of the sustainable indices and index-based research, reporting and analysis for our clients. The team work closely with both internal stakeholders across FTSE Russell, wider LSEG and FTSE Russell’s partners and key clients, including major asset owners, asset managers and investment banks in the creation of new index products.

We are seeking an experienced Director, Sustainable Research & Analytics to join the Sustainable Leadership team at FTSE Russell, a fully owned subsidiary of London Stock Exchange Group. The role reports directly to the Global Head of Sustainable. This is a pivotal role in ensuring the integrity, relevance and strategic value of the sustainable indices and index-based research, reporting and analysis for our clients. The team work closely with both internal stakeholders across FTSE Russell, wider LSEG and FTSE Russell’s partners and key clients, including major asset owners, asset managers and investment banks in the creation of new index products.

Join us as a Sustainability Structurer where you will support the UK Corporate Sustainability Finance product offering for both new business and existing portfolio, adopting sustainable and transition finance products by UKC client with the execution and optimisation of structured ESG portfolio transactions to meet objectives. Build long term and economic key partnerships across various sector and coverage teams aligned with the sustainable agenda. Optimising returns from client opportunities either at bespoke or at structured portfolio levels and work in collaboration with other UK Corporate origination teams and coverage.

Lazard Asset Management is currently recruiting for a Head of Quantitative Sustainable Investment Research to join its Sustainable Investment and Quantitative Research teams across New York, Boston, and London. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a growing team within a large global organization. This position will play a key role in leveraging the firm’s existing Sustainable Investment research capabilities to set and drive the quantitative ESG and climate research agenda. The ideal candidate will have a passion for sustainable investing combined with strong quantitative research skills.

BNY Sustainability are seeking a future team member to support day-to-day planning and execution with a focus on ESG regulatory implementation. This role is located in London.

In this senior role, you will be at the forefront of Nokia's sustainability journey, engaging with top customers worldwide. Working closely with various teams, you will develop and enhance Nokia's sustainability value proposition, creating new business opportunities. As a key sustainability expert, you will guide regional teams and accounts, pushing the boundaries of co-creation and impacting sales and customer relationships.

You will be responsible for supporting the Entity Reporting & Group Reporting LT to deliver the finance vision and successfully transition to a future state team which is efficient, structured, and accountable. You will work directly with the Director of Entity & Group Reporting to the finance strategy on sustainability reporting.

As a Sustainable Investing Research Analyst within the Sustainable Investing team, you will collaborate with financial analysts and portfolio managers under the leadership of the Global Head of Sustainable Investing Research. You will report to one of the Sustainable Investing Research Leads, focusing on delivering sustainability insights through ESG risk assessment and investment frameworks across various asset classes.

Sustainability is one of the Barbican’s five core values hence this new strategically important role has been created. The Head of Sustainability will lead the sustainability team and ensure the Centre achieves its strategic goals and objectives. The post holder will lead the development and delivery of the sustainability strategy and report at a senior level on its progress. They will influence decision making across every team.

In partnership with Directors’ Group and the Management Team, they will also lead behavioural change in the areas of energy, sustainability and environmental management. They will lead the Centre-wide.

The Science Based Targets (SBTi) initiative is looking for a Sector Lead (paternity leave cover; 6-month contract with possibility of extension) to support the Sector Standards Team’s work to develop standards for the energy, industry and transport sectors. 

Core Responsibilities

-Build the ESG compliance agenda by partnering with Legal, Governance & Public Affairs and key partners to identify, interpret, and assess emerging ESG and human rights regulations aligned with sustainability and responsible sourcing goals
-Turn regulation into action by building multi-year compliance roadmaps and mitigation plans, inspire change management, and supporting embedding requirements into operations and supplier practices - especially within Procurement, in close partnership with Sustainable Sourcing
-Lead global EU Deforestation Regulations compliance, owning the overall roadmap and governance while coordinating cross-functional teams and ....tracking progress, risks, and milestones establishing ownership in and transition to business.

As the Principal Consultant for Corporate ESG Services, you will develop and manage the ESG advisory services offering within the wider ESG Corporate Services Business Unit, with support from Business Unit Manager.  Acting as commercial lead and providing support and direction. To deliver projects to the required quality and driving business growth and development activities. Provide an expert point of reference on technical delivery.

Join our client's JV project team, where your role will be to provide vital environmental and sustainability advice, guidance, and support across all operations. Your expertise will help reduce environmental risks associated with construction activities and foster a culture of sustainability.

Head, UK & Ireland, Responsible Investment Markets (12 Month Fixed Term Contract, Family Leave Cover) - Principles for Responsible Investment - Applied

Associate, Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance (12 Month Fixed Term Contract) - Principles for Responsible Investment - Applied

Head of Sponsorship, Events - Principles for Responsible Investment - Applied

Senior Specialist, Policy - UK (Part Time) - Principles for Responsible Investment - Applied

Work as part of a multidisciplinary team across a range of industries to assist companies in better understand and develop solutions to respond to the complex and evolving policy, regulatory, and business environment risks and opportunities associated with ESG/Sustainability and Decarbonization....

Supervise and enhance the analysis of corporate activities and provide recommendations related to enhance their sustainability/ESG strategy, methods, framework, and related tools to support clients in achieving their sustainability/ ESG objectives.....

The MSCI Sustainability Research Corporate Governance team is responsible for providing clients with actionable content on corporate governance and contributing innovative insights into the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings framework.

Open to London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam locations

Asset Management role

In this role, you will help deliver and evidence the outcomes of our stewardship activity across engagement and voting, including communicating clearly how these activities support investment decision -making and client priorities. You will act as an engagement specialist, contributing to targeted dialogue with companies and supporting the oversight of voting and engagement activity. A key focus of the role is producing high quality written materials and disclosures, including drafting content for the Stewardship code reporting, PRI submissions and voting and engagement reporting and developing clear, client ready narratives and case studies that articulate progress, outcomes, and client benefits.

The Sustainable Investing Research Analyst is a member of the Sustainable Investing Research team within State Street Investment Management’s Sustainable Investing organization. The role is responsible for conducting investment-relevant thematic research to support State Street Investment Management’s industry leading sustainable investing research capability and sustainable investment solution innovation in order to meet rising client demand. The position is based in London and reports to the Global Head of Sustainable Investing Research.

Reporting to the Managing Director, Sustainable Investing, the Principal, Sustainable Investing will play a key role in the implementation of HOOPP’s new Sustainable Investing strategy, a key initiative in the 2030 Strategic Plan.

In this role, you will be a leading contributor to generating sustainability insights to inform portfolio resilience. You will bring a strong technical foundation and a passion to contribute to the continued advancement of Sustainable Investing at HOOPP. 

Eurasia Group is looking for an experienced and driven Senior Analyst to join its Global Environment & Sustainability Practice. This role focuses on climate transition across industries, sustainability due diligence, and sustainable finance. The Senior Analyst will serve as Eurasia Group’s foremost expert on climate-related issues.

You’ll:

- Lead Workspace’s ESG strategy and ensure progress against the Net Zero pathway
- Embed ESG into investment, asset management and operations
- Strengthen our social impact agenda, with a clear focus on skills, early careers and local communities.....

The Associate will play an important role in consolidating the position of Moody’s Sustainable Finance team as the preeminent source of expertise on ESG credit risks and sustainable finance in global credit markets. The role-holder will support the Sustainable Finance team’s thought leadership program, contributing to the publication of thematic research and delivery of outreach activities. 

You will be part of a small and dedicated team supporting Schroders maintain its high level of responsible business standards and meet its own sustainability commitments. You’ll manage, co-ordinate and own multiple cross-functional initiatives and projects across the year. 

The Sustainability Reporting Manager will support the Director of Sustainability Reporting Expertise in overseeing Unilever’s global sustainability reporting. The role sits within the Sustainability Finance team which reports to Unilever’s Group Controller and works closely with the Group Chief Accounting Department (GCAD) to ensure consistency between financial and non-financial reporting.

Employment Type: Contract Please note, where PRI has an office there is an expectation to work a minimum of 2 days per week
Location: Hybrid · London, City of, UK
Team: Investor Education
Seniority: Mid-level

Closing: 8:00pm, 1st Feb 2026 GMT

Employment Type Part time Please note, where PRI has an office there is an expectation to work a minimum of 2 days per week
Location Hybrid · Germany (multiple locations)Berlin · Munich · Frankfurt
 
Team RI Markets
Seniority Mid-level
Closing: 8:00pm, 25th Jan 2026 GMT

We are looking for someone to join us as our Head of Sustainability. Reporting to Mark Farrow, the Director of Strategy & Planning (Places), and take the lead role developing, implementing, and embedding our Sustainability & Inclusivity Strategy across our substantial property portfolio.