Major asset managers BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard face a Texas-led lawsuit alleging they illegally colluded through climate initiatives to pressure coal companies into reducing output, sparking further debate in the ongoing ESG controversy.
Richard Newell
While every start-up is positioning itself around AI, venture investors are unlikely to fall for the hype. However, they do see the greatest potential in Southeast Asia.
Australian and British pension funds want the UK's National Wealth Fund to focus on higher risk net-zero industries where it can play a valuable role bridging gaps in capital markets.
Poor investor sentiment is reflected in a depressed sector, from low occupancy to falling profits. There's a strong sense that Hong Kong needs to reinvent itself before investors return.
Despite growing market interest, asset owners have minimal exposure to businesses and projects driving positive marine conservation impacts due to a lack of scalable opportunities.
The sustainable growth equity space has some of the most exciting investment opportunities, with unicorn companies keen to attract institutional capital.
Although allocations to emerging markets can carry added risk, asset owners such as GIC and INA are adding to their already substantial investments in infrastructure funding.
Faced with a legal obligation to disclose portfolio carbon emissions, Australasian state funds and Asian institutions voice doubts over data accuracy yet underscore the importance of Scope 3 reporting.
.jpg&c=1&h=194&q=100&v=20243323&w=344)
This is the fund’s first direct investment in an Australian toll road, but indications are that it won’t be the last.
Challenged to improve their reporting on carbon footprint, asset owners are hamstrung by the significant limitations of available data.
Machine learning, among other AI applications, is expected to be the key to improving the carbon reporting capability of companies and their investors.
Low carbon prices have failed to provide robust incentives for companies to decarbonise, so institutional investors need to initiate dialogues with companies on how they can use the evolving carbon market in Asia.
