BUSINESS SITUATION
The project required a detailed assessment of the ESG profiles of 150 asset managers and a summarized commentary on each of their profiles. The research was to be defined under 6 focused profile sections, which would enable the preparation of the ESG profile commentary.
SGA APPROACH
- Assessed asset managers on holistic ESG integration aspects sourced from various channels such as UNPRI website, annual reports, proxy statements, newsletters, investor resources and company websites.
- Evaluated the UNPRI profile on the basis of years on engagement, attributed scores, and listed equity funds.
- Highlighted key aspects of responsible investing such as ESG engagement percentages, ESG trends, and ESG rating frequency for 150 asset managers.
- Assessed the wide variety of data ratings used by asset managers, such as RobecoSAM, S&P Trucost, and Vigeo Eiris, to identify performance of portfolio companies.
- Identified priority focus areas listed by asset managers across the environmental, social, and governance pillars.
- Identified alignment of asset managers to 20 globally accepted frameworks and guidelines adopted such as CERES, SASB, Climate Action 100+, UNGC, CDP, and CII.
- News and controversies scraped, highlighting major milestones and events reported by both self and third-party media sources for the asset manager.
- Formulated a summarized ESG profile for each asset manager based on the 6 major profile sections identified for research.
ENGAGEMENT
- Profile commentary for 150 asset managers, highlighting and tracking key factors of ESG integration in their asset management.
BENEFITS & OUTCOME
- Oversight into emerging ESG priorities of asset managers.
- Assessed asset manager’s alignment to globally accepted frameworks and initiatives.
- Consciously monitored news headlines and controversies involving the designated asset management organization.
KEY TAKEAWAY
- Holistic overview of customized ESG profiles for 150 asset managers.
- System-digestible frameworks for allowing easy analysis and interpretation.
- Summarized analysis including inferences from reported parameters as well as news headlines and controversies collected from verified public sources.
