December 2023

Here are the top news, stories, observations and other interesting things we hear about in the market, relevant for selection teams and sustainable investing.

#1 New ESG Leaders Handbook 2023 launched by Global Fund Search & NordSIP

Apart from being a badge of honour for sustainable asset managers, a recognised ESG leadership status has also become a statement these days. As critics of ESG investing are getting louder, it becomes increasingly important for those who subscribe to the concept to demonstrate that they are still on course. The polarisation of the issues also increases more than ever the need to maintain high standards. To help sustainable investors navigate this complex field, in 2022, NordSIP and Global Fund Search partnered to put together a handbook on ESG Leaders. In this second edition of the handbook, we have kept the concept intact in the name of continuity. As a reminder, it is institutional demand that is the ultimate criterion for selecting the ESG leaders featured in this publication. Only managers who have been successful in ESG-related searches are invited to participate. We have designed a standardised template to help readers gauge and compare the managers’ sustainability commitment and the extent to which it is fulfilled.

Access the full Handbook here (source: Global Fund Search & NordSIP)

#2 “Governance & Smorrebrod” – Best Practice Discussions in Copenhagen (NordSIP roundtable)

As the world of investing grapples with a deluge of environmental and social considerations that necessitate tracking, managing, and disclosure, is governance at risk of being overshadowed? The venerable ‘G’ in ESG has, after all, been part of good investment practice long before its ‘E’ and ‘S’ companions. Fundamental stock pickers have always sought out companies with not just quality management but also the reassuring presence of sound governance structures, practices, and incentives.

Read the full article here (source: NordSIP)

#3 Nordic investors urge Tesla to change course over labour dispute

Nordic institutional investors with combined assets of $1 trillion have penned a letter to U.S electric car manufacturer Tesla, urging the firm to cooperate with unions in light of an ongoing labour dispute in Sweden. There are 16 signatories to the letter, which include KLP, the largest pension fund in Norway, Sweden’s Folksam, and PensionDanmark from Denmark.

Read the full article here (source: Pensions&Investments)