There is a growing feeling that the world is currently unravelling before our eyes, whether this be due to the global pandemic, the continued racial conflict or the progressively devastating consequences of climate change. It is unsurprising that, along with governments and non-profit organisations, an increasing expectation exists for companies to step up their commitments to social and environmental issues.
In the end money talks, just as it always does. If you skip through the financial and business pages of the newspapers as you head for the sport, or are still half asleep when Dominic O’Connell gives us the daily business news at 6.15am on the Today Programme, last week you might have missed a piece of financial news of genuine world-changing significance.
There are many definitions of ESG, there are different ways of measuring progress towards ESG goals and there are multiple ways of understanding what ESG factors most impact reputation, and why. According to Steve Earl, a Partner at corporate communications and strategy consultancy BOLDT, those multiple versions of the truth are unavoidable, but expect consolidation as companies begin to require more objective data. At a time when nations around the world are relying on data to unmask the facts about how we emerge from the grip of a pandemic, the whole truth has rarely been at such a premium. But if…
As institutional investors grow increasingly picky in where they put their money amid the global Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) push, North America's oil sector has started to look at ways to attract those investors who have been shunning fossil fuels by default.
That momentum has not slowed with the pandemic. “The crisis has intensified and reinforced the importance of ESG issues,” said George Serafeim, a Harvard Business School professor and ESG expert.
Understandably, ESG factors have historically lagged behind financial and political ones, when it comes to making business and financial decisions. Well, the landscape is starting to shift, thanks to a new generation of more ethically-minded investors, and a fintech market that is capitalising on this. ESG, or Environment, Social & Corporate Governance, is a driving force behind this new industry layout.
Across all elections in the UK, only 32% of candidates were women. Taking a closer look at the different types of elections, the London Assembly lead the way with women making up 42% of candidates. The Police and Crime Commissioner elections trail with just 22% representation of women.
The worldwide number of environmental activists killed reached a record high of 212 in 2019, over half of which occurred in Latin America, with most of the incidences not investigated nor punished.
The historically significant role of development finance institutions as sources of capital into sub-Saharan Africa has shaped the way investment into the region is positioned.
