(Investing according to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns is facing a major political backlash. A least 24 U.S. state governments are moving to stop public pension fund managers from making investment decisions based upon ESG principles. Those leading the backlash say that when fund managers apply the ESG filter to investment decisions, it leads… Read More >>
24 States Forbid ESG Investing via Public Pension Funds
A major Republican backlash is underway in at least 24 U.S. states against public pension fund managers making investment decisions based upon environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns and principles. Those leading the backlash say that when the ESG filter is applied to investment decisions, it leads to portfolio losses, which harm pensioners. Non-ESG investments… Read More >>
Corporate Actions Meets DLT via SWIFT & Other News
American Century, Citi & Vanguard Join SWIFT Project SWIFT, the global financial messaging, systems, and services cooperative, reports that it is “collaborating with seven securities players — including asset managers and custodians American Century Investments, Citi, Vanguard and Northern Trust — to drive efficiencies in communicating significant corporate events.” The corporate actions project is based… Read More >>
Get Ready for a Major Battle Over ESG
Call it a fight over conflicting ideological screening methods or a backlash against a backlash. But, regardless of the initial label, a major political battle over environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles is gathering steam. As conservative U.S. states fall in line against the usage of ESG principles for public pension investments, 13 state treasurers… Read More >>
19 State AGs Oppose BlackRock’s ESG Pension Push
Another anti-ESG push from the right is emerging and this time it’s taking aim at what is arguably the world’s largest asset manager. The attorney general for the Grand Canyon state Mark Brnovich earlier this month created “a coalition of 19 states that sent a letter to BlackRock Inc., calling out its practices of putting… Read More >>
BlackRock Asks SEC to Streamline Climate Risk Reporting
With $10 trillion in assets under management (AUM), BlackRock is generally considered one of the world’s top asset managers. So, when it sends a comment letter about a regulatory matter, people tend to pay attention. Earlier this month, BlackRock sent its list of suggestions to the SEC about the regulator’s push for new regulation that… Read More >>
Greenwashing Crackdowns Should Spur ESG Funds Review: Q&A
(For financial services firms, the term “greenwashing” refers to misleading marketing about investments based upon Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and sustainability concerns. The practice has been getting a lot of attention recently as major media have reported upon a raid by German authorities of Deutsche Bank’s DWS offices in an effort to gather evidence… Read More >>
BNY Mellon Unit & SEC Resolve ESG Omissions Case
BNY Mellon Investment Adviser (BNYMIA) is paying a $1.5 million penalty to the SEC to settle charges that it made “misstatements and omissions” about the mutual fund reviews that were intended to verify whether environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns were considered when investment decisions were made. As the SEC explains in its order, its… Read More >>
ESG Boosts Client Engagement via Social Media: Q&A
(A survey conducted by digital client engagement vendor Hearsay Systems, which focuses on financial services markets, has revealed that “principles-based messaging” is achieving the highest engagement rates for financial services firms, particularly financial advisors and agents. Such messaging refers to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, and efforts to involve more women and more diversity… Read More >>
CFTC Hopes Carbon Offsets Forum Will Spur Innovation
Rostin Behnam, the chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is hoping to jumpstart industry interest in carbon offsets via the regulator’s first-ever Voluntary Carbon Convening, slated for June 2 via the CFTC’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. “As climate change is a collective action problem, I believe a joint effort between the CFTC and… Read More >>
