Chapter 1 - Introduction to ESG Investing Flashcards
Describe the adverse effects of short-termism in the UK equity market
(3 Points)
Short-termism may promote:
* bubbles
* financial instability
* general economic underperformance
Name Forms of ESG Investing
(9 Points)
Different approaches to ESG investing include:
* responsible investment
* socially responsible investment
* sustainable investment
* best-in-class investment
* ethical/values-driven investment
* thematic investment
* green investment
* social investment
* shareholder engagement
Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD)
(2 Points)
By the European Union (EU) in September 2020:
A directive requiring investors to be active owners and act with a more long-term focus.
Examples of Environmental ESG Issues
(5 Points)
- Climate Change
- Resource Depletion
- Waste
- Pollution
- Deforestation
Examples of Social ESG Issues
(6 Points)
- Human Rights
- Modern Slavery
- Child Labor
- Working Conditions
- Employee Relations
- Community Impact
Examples of Governance ESG Issues
(9 Points)
- Bribery
- Corruption
- Executive Pay
- Board Diversity
- Board Structure
- Trade Association
- Lobbying
- Donations
- Tax Strategy
ESG Investing
An approach to managing assets where investors explicitly acknowledge the relevance of environmental, social, and governance factors in their investment decisions, with the long-term return of an investment portfolio in mind.
Long-Termism
A focus on long-term value creation and investment practices that prioritize long-term outcomes over short-term gains.
Short-Termism
Investment practices that prioritize short-term momentum, price movements, and quarterly financials over long-term value creation.
Responsible Investment
(3 Points)
Is a strategy and practice to incorporate ESG factors into investment decisions and active ownership.
It is sometimes used as an umbrella term for all ESG investment approaches.
At a minimum, responsible investment consists of mitigating risky ESG practices in order to protect value. To this end, it considers both how ESG might influence the risk-adjusted return of an asset and the stability of an economy and how investment in and engagement with assets and investees can impact society and the environment.
Socially Responsible Investment (SRI)
(4 Points)
SRI evaluates companies based on social and environmental criteria. Investors score companies using specific criteria and weightings.
A qualification hurdle is set for the investment universe.
This creates a list of SRI-qualified companies.
SRI ranking can be used with other investment strategies like best-in-class, thematic, high-conviction funds, or quantitative strategies.
Sustainable Investment
(4 Points)
Sustainable investment involves selecting assets that contribute to a sustainable economy, minimizing resource depletion.
It considers ESG issues and may include best-in-class and ESG integration.
It also includes companies with positive impact and those benefiting from sustainable trends.
Sustainable investment can also refer to strategies that exclude environmentally and socially unsustainable activities, like coal mining or Arctic oil exploration.
Best-in-Class Investment
Involves selecting only the companies that overcome a defined ranking hurdle, established using ESG criteria within each sector or industry.
Ethical/Faith-Based Investment
An approach to ESG investing that aligns investments with specific ethical or faith-based criteria, such as avoiding investments in industries like tobacco or weapons (Negative Screening).
Thematic Investment
(2 Points)
Thematic investment focuses on specific ESG-related themes like clean energy, sustainable agriculture, affordable housing, affordable healthcare and nutrition.
However, not all thematic funds are responsible or best-in-class investments. The fund’s theme and the ESG characteristics of the invested companies determine its classification.
Green Investment
(3 Points)
Green investment involves allocating capital to assets that address climate change, biodiversity loss, resource inefficiency, and other environmental challenges.
This includes low-carbon power generation, energy efficiency, pollution control, recycling, waste management, and other technologies that solve environmental problems.
Green investment falls under thematic and impact investing. Green bonds, which raise funds for climate and environmental projects, are commonly used in this type of investment.
Social Investment
(2 Points)
Social investment involves allocating capital to assets that address social challenges, such as products for the poorest two-thirds of the population (Bottom of the Pyramid - BOP).
Examples of social investment include micro-finance, micro-insurance, access to basic telecommunication, improved nutrition and healthcare, and access to clean energy.
Shareholder Engagement
(2 Points)
The active ownership of investors in influencing the behavior and decision-making of companies in which they invest, particularly regarding ESG issues.
This can be done either through dialogue with corporate officers or votes at a shareholder assembly (in the case of equity).
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
(3 Points)
CSR is a broad business concept that describes a company’s commitment to conducting its business in an ethical way.
Until recently, many companies implemented CSR by contributing to society through philanthropy (donations).
Modern understanding of CSR recognizes that a principles-based behavior approach (operating in ways that, at a minimum, meet fundamental responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption) can play a strategic role in a firm’s business model.
Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Accounting
(4 Points)
An accounting framework that considers three dimensions of performance:
* economic (profit)
* social (people)
* environmental (planet)
Benefits of Incorporating ESG
(3 Points)
The advantages of considering ESG factors in decision making, including improved risk management, enhanced returns, and alignment with stakeholder values.
Challenges of Incorporating ESG
(5 Points)
The difficulties and obstacles associated with integrating ESG factors:
* perception that ESG has a negative impact on investment performance
* fiduciary duty prevents investors from integrating ESG
* investment consultants and retail financial advisers not supportive of ESG products
* significant resources needed
* limited data availability
Financial Materiality of ESG Integration
The concept that ESG factors can have a material impact on the financial performance and value of an investment.
Double Materiality
(3 Points)
Double materiality is a concept that considers the financial impacts of a company’s activities on the environment and society, as well as the financial impacts of external environmental and social factors on the company itself.
It emphasizes the interconnectedness between ESG factors and financial performance.
Dynamic Materiality
(4 Points)
The understanding that the materiality of ESG factors can evolve over time due to:
* changing market conditions
* regulations
* societal expectations
ESG Megatrends
(4 Points)
Long-term trends related to environmental, social, and governance issues that can significantly impact companies and their practices.
Stockholm Resilience Centre’s Nine Planetary Boundaries
(10 Points)
The Stockholm Resilience Centre’s Nine Planetary Boundaries are a set of ecological thresholds that, if crossed, could result in irreversible and abrupt environmental changes.
They include:
* climate change
* biosphere integrity
* land-system change
* freshwater change
* biogeochemical flows
* ocean acidification
* novel entities
* atmospheric aerosol loading
* stratospheric ozone depletion
World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report
(3 Points)
The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report is an annual publication that highlights the most significant risks facing the global economy and society.
It assesses risks in various categories, such as economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal and technological, based on their likelihood and impact.
Environmental risks are high on the radar. Among all global risks, climate now tops the agenda.
What is one of the Challenges in ESG Investment?
(2 Points)
Identification of ESG issues that are genuinely material to a specific sector and company.
Determining which ESG factors are financially relevant and have a significant impact on long-term performance can be complex.
What is the Freshfields Report?
(3 Points)
Comissioned by UNEP FI in 2005.
The authors argued that “integrating ESG considerations into an investment analysis so as to more reliably predict financial performance is clearly permissible and is arguably required in all jurisdictions.”
3 ways investors reflect ESG Considerations in their Investment Process
(3 Points)
- Incorporating ESG factors into investment decision-making
- Corporate engagement
- Policy engagement
Ways of Corporate Engagement
(3 Points)
- Investors can engage with companies through annual general meetings (AGMs)
- Engagement can happen individually or through collective initiatives
- Discussions with company boards or management about ESG issues
Policy Engagement
(2 Points)
- Investors can work with regulators, standard setters, and other parties to shape the financial system
- Responding to policy consultations, participating in collective initiatives, and making recommendations to policymakers
United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)
(3 Points)
Collaboration between leading companies and the UN in 2000:
* Adheres to 10 principles derived from global standards, focusing on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption
* Largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world with over 8,000 corporate signatories
United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)
(4 Points)
- Partnership between UNEP and the global financial sector
- Aims to mobilize private sector finance for sustainable development
- Works with over 300 members, including banks, insurers, and investors
- Established frameworks like Principles for Responsible Investment and Principles for Sustainable Insurance
Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
(3 Points)
Established in 2006 by UNEP FI and the UN Global Compact.
Network of investors working to understand implications of ESG investment - Growth of the S & G correlates to PRI membership.
Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI)
(4 Points)
- Established in 2012 by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)
- Framework for insurers to integrate sustainability into their business practices
- Focuses on managing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities
- More than one-quarter of the world’s insurers have adopted the PSI principles to date