ESG Data Is All Over the Place. How to Fix It From Two Who Work With the Numbers
The first thing to keep in mind is why we’re doing this—to try to implement the [United Nations’] Sustainable Development Goals. Also, we want to get the private sector to declare how they’re making progress, so that all their stakeholders can see it—not only their customers, but their shareholders, their employees, their communities. It has been a relatively informal process. Doug and his company, and many other companies, including Bloomberg, Barron’s and others, have built [ESG reporting metrics and frameworks] over the years. But the problem is now you have many, many metrics. Read more
Boardroom ESG expertise leads to better sustainability performance, study finds
The survey looks at companies in the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. It reflects on the impacts of having ESG expertise among board members, having a dedicated board ESG sub-committee or having no ESG expertise at board level at all. More than half of US companies surveyed have ESG expertise at the board level and on a designated ESG committee. Less than a fifth (19 percent) don’t have an ESG expert in the boardroom – the lowest level of all three regions – but nearly 40 percent of US companies are considered to have poor ESG disclosure, with only 16 percent deemed to have a good ESG disclosure score. Read more
Saudi Wealth Funds Plans Green Bond
Saudi Arabia’s $430 billion sovereign wealth fund is preparing to issue its first green debt and is collaborating with BlackRock on a framework that incorporates environmental, social, and governance considerations. Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan said in a virtual event on Tuesday that the green issuance will be announced “very soon.” “We’re collaborating with numerous partners from around the world, both domestically and internationally, to improve our ESG compliance in everything we do,” Al-Rumayyan said. According to Reuters, the PIF, as the wealth fund is known, has also hired five multinational banks to serve on an ESG panel for its medium-term capital-raising strategy. Read more
CHIMEI Completes the World’s First Carbon-neutral Shipment of Butadiene
CHIMEI Corporation achieved the world’s first carbon-neutral shipment of butadiene with its butadiene supplier Braskem, as part of its “Clean & Green” environmental goal and in accordance with worldwide trends toward carbon reduction and neutrality. The credits were obtained through REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), the world’s largest international forest preservation programme backed by the United Nations, and Verra, a charity that manages the world’s leading carbon credit standard, VCS (Verified Carbon Standard). Carbon emissions are expected to be reduced by more than 130 million metric tonnes as a result of the programme. CHIMEI also actively seeks to collaborate with partners, suppliers, and clients in order to help the environment. Read more