Daily FNArena News - ESG Focus

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we examined First Sentier’s approach to materiality, focusing on the “S” in ESG, but this article focuses on green materiality – last but definitely not least as the global transition kicks off

The UN publishes its World Water Development Report 2021 titled ‘Valuing Water’ on World Water Day, as Sandfire Resources and the International Copper Association Australia launch a project to deal with water emissions

The “S” in ESG is more than a pleasant sentiment – its roots run deep into materiality – hence FNArena flags the social themes that will eventually hit corporations on their operational and strategic front lines – mental health, gender and modern slavery

The European Parliament has just backed a tax on imports that haven’t priced in the cost of carbon in a move soon to be followed by the US and Britain – all this as China prepares to launch its own carbon market and FitchRatings warns of sovereign downgrades for fossil-fuel producing countries

The highly coveted “sustainability premium” is the holy grail of ESG investors globally, and determining materiality is the key to attaining this. First Sentier shares some of its preferred metrics

The Apache land transfer to BHP Group and Rio Tinto in Arizona has been rescinded and more heads topple at Rio Tinto as global resolve steels to reinforce ESG narratives

Rio Tinto and BHP Group are again in the indigenous spotlight, making a mockery of the “S” in ESG, after winning a land grab for Apache land in the US to build the world’s largest copper mine – a critical material for the green transition

BetaShares has launched a Climate Change Innovation ETF, recognising the anticipated sharp shift to renewable energy over the next two years, and, as the number of ESG funds proliferate, advisers offer tips to investors to help avoid greenwashing

2020 has seen the biggest global shrinkage of personal liberties during peacetime, but it’s all about the global pandemic and last year’s trend is not necessarily spelling doom and gloom for the world’s democracies

ESG funds ballooned in 2020, as investors sought safe havens from covid and the Saudi-Russia oil price war but 2021 is a different story