ESG Investor’s weekly round-up of news on technology and tools in the sustainable investing sector.
Michael Bloomberg, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions and Founder of Bloomberg LP, has launched the Bloomberg Global Coal Countdown. Created in partnership with the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), the new online data resource tracks the retirement of coal plant units around the world. The Bloomberg Global Coal Countdown was built using data and insights from the Global Energy Monitor, the Center for Global Sustainability at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. “Coal-fired power plants are the single biggest contributor to climate change and a major source of deadly pollutants. This new countdown tracker will be a go-to source for clear, accurate, and reliable data on coal plant closures around the world – and we’ve made it easy for the public to find and use, so we can track our progress and accelerate the transition to clean energy,” said Bloomberg.
Sustainalytics has launched its Principal Adverse Impact (PAI) Data Solution, which aims to help investment managers identify and understand the adverse sustainability impacts of their investments. This will help asset managers comply with Level 1 of the European Union’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), which comes into force from March 10 2021. “Given the multifaceted aspects of the SFDR regulation, investors need a holistic, consistent approach to ESG across the entire investment value chain,” said Anne Schoemaker, Associate Director of Product Strategy and Development for Sustainalytics.
The Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) has announced the latest development of the Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX) – a section dedicated to Climate-Aligned Issuers (CAI). CAI uses Climate Bonds Initiative’s issuer screening and research, with all debt securities issued by CAIs displayed as climate-aligned investments opportunities. “Investors can identify untapped opportunities in climate finance and support companies with climate-aligned business activities. In the transition decade that has just started, LGX is keen on encouraging a broader pool of strong investment opportunities to ESG-conscious investors,” said Julie Becker, Deputy CEO of LuxSE and Founder of LGX.
Investment intelligence provider Qontigo has partnered with the International Institute of Green Finance (IIGF) to develop ESG-focused indices under the STOXX brand names, integrating data from their risk management software. The IIGF ESG database includes Chinese Bond issuers and focuses on four main areas of finance: climate, energy, green and health. Qontigo has also partnered with a number of other data providers in the sustainability space, like Clarity AI, Sustainalytics and ISS. “Our rigorous and robust analysis combined with our deep knowledge of China, makes us well positioned to provide quality ESG insight for our clients. Qontigo is equally focused on bringing best-of-breed, innovative products to help their clients meet the growing demand of sustainable investing and reporting in Asia,” said Yichen Shi, Deputy Dean of IIGF.
