ISS ESG Foreword

About the Episode What is Net Zero and why do some contend it so difficult to achieve? What are the key initiatives that aim at decarbonizing portfolios and what actions can investors take to start their Net Zero journey now? In the latest episode of the ISS ESG Foreword podcast series, ISS ESG experts Steffen Bixby and Neda Todorova explore these questions and more as they dive into what can often be an overwhelming topic for investors – Net Zero. Keep up with the latest company news and insights on LinkedIn (@ISS ESG) and Twitter (@issesg). Ask us questions or send us comment on this or other Foreword podcasts by writing to us at podcast@iss-esg.com. About the Series Foreword, ISS ESG's podcast series, is designed with one goal in mind: to deliver a precise and succinct view and forecast on all things ESG across the globe. Each episode features experts with deep and long-standing expertise in covering issues of import to those within the ESG industry. Corporate and investment professionals will find the series particularly helpful as our experts discuss ways and means of achieving a greener and more sustainable portfolio while highlighting resources and tools designed to meet challenges faced by ESG practitioners. The Foreword series is also directed at those seeking to stay abreast of the latest global trends and developments in the area of responsible investment, sustainability, impact investing, CSR reporting, ESG disclosures, and more.

About the Episode The Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) is an EU regulation with global impact. In this episode of the ISS ESG Foreword podcast series, ESG experts Ronja Wöstheinrich and Thomas Harding explore some of the reporting challenges for institutional investors associated with SFDR compliance and preview ISS ESG’s dedicated SFDR Principle Adverse Impact solution due out in April 2021. Keep up with the latest company news and insights by following us on LinkedIn (@ISS ESG) and Twitter (@issesg). Ask us questions or send us comment on this or other Foreword podcasts by writing to us at podcast@iss-esg.com. About the Series Foreword, ISS ESG’s podcast series, is designed with one goal in mind: to deliver a precise and succinct view and forecast on all things ESG across the globe. Each episode features experts with deep and long-standing expertise in covering issues of import to those within the ESG industry. Corporate and investment professionals will find the series particularly helpful as our experts discuss ways and means of achieving a greener and more sustainable portfolio while highlighting resources and tools designed to meet challenges faced by ESG practitioners. The Foreword series is also directed at those seeking to stay abreast of the latest global trends and developments in the area of responsible investment, sustainability, impact investing, CSR reporting, ESG disclosures, and more.

About the Episode In this first episode of the Foreword podcast series for 2021, ISS ESG explores the European Union Taxonomy, a new classification system defining environmentally sustainable economic activities and the first such classification at the regulatory level. How should investors and their portfolio companies interpret and understand the nature and scope of the taxonomy? And how will ISS ESG’s new EU Taxonomy Alignment Solution help investors address new requirements, ensure and maintain compliance, and fully and accurately report on taxonomy alignment? Tune in to hear from ISS ESG experts Thomas Harding and Lydia Sandner who will address these questions and more throughout this episode. Ask us questions or send us comment on this or other Foreword podcasts by writing to us at podcast@iss-esg.com. About the Show Foreword, ISS ESG’s podcast series, is designed with one goal in mind: to deliver a precise and succinct view and forecast on all things ESG across the globe. Each episode features experts with deep and long-standing expertise in covering issues of import to those within the ESG industry. Corporate and investment professionals will find the series particularly helpful as our experts discuss ways and means of achieving a greener and more sustainable portfolio while highlighting resources and tools designed to meet challenges faced by ESG practitioners. The Foreword series is also directed at those seeking to stay abreast of the latest global trends and developments in the area of responsible investment, sustainability, impact investing, CSR reporting, ESG disclosures, and more.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations in 2015, establishes a commitment to 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) covering a range of issues including water, health, poverty, biodiversity and climate. Since 2016, ISS ESG has referenced the SDGs as a guideline to measure sustainability – first through the SDG Solutions Assessment, and most recently, via the SDG Impact Rating and SDG Index Series. This latest episode of ISS ESG Foreword explores how and why investors are integrating the SDGs into their investment decision-making practices as well as how ISS ESG can support those efforts. Tune in to hear from ESG experts Laura Albarracin and Hernando Cortina as they dive into two fresh offerings by ISS ESG: the SDG Impact Rating and the SDG Index Series. Learn more about the SDG Impact Rating: https://www.issgovernance.com/esg/impact-un-sdg/sdg-impact-rating/ Learn more about the SDG Index Series: https://www.issgovernance.com/esg/index-solutions/turnkey/ Ask us questions, let us know your thoughts, or suggest a topic for a future Foreword podcast by writing to us at podcast@iss-esg.com.

The new ESG Fund Rating by ISS enables asset managers and financial advisors to meet the growing demand for sustainable investment products. But how does the ISS ESG Fund Rating stand out from the rest? For one, the ISS ESG fund ratings have more than 1,000 data factors available for client use in Fund Screening - that's far more than those offered by similar products currently on the market. Tune in to the latest episode of ISS ESG Foreword to hear more about the advantages of ISS ESG Fund Ratings. ESG industry experts Julia Haake and Till Jung discuss how fund managers, financial advisors, and plan administrators can leverage the new ISS ESG Fund Ratings solution as part of their workflow. For more information on ISS ESG Fund Ratings, please visit https://www.issgovernance.com/esg/ratings/.

The extraction of mineral commodities as well as the processing of these raw materials to produce a variety of metals emits immense greenhouse gas emissions each year. Mining operations are also extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change as they are locally bound to the occurrence of resources and usually located in remote and environmentally sensitive regions. Despite these constraints and concerns, we depend on metals to uphold our 21st century standard of living and productivity, and they are indispensable for the transition to a clean-energy and low-carbon economy. Within this field of tension, how can mining companies respond to investor risks driven by a changing climate while seizing associated opportunities? Tune in to the latest episode of ISS ESG Foreword podcast series as ESG experts Nicole Strunk and Barbara Hof explore the unique risks and opportunities associated with the metals and mining sector in the wake of global climate change. Ask us questions, let us know your thoughts, or suggest a topic for a future Foreword podcast by writing to us at podcast@iss-esg.com. Access the companion research paper, “The Climate of Mining: Investor Risks and Opportunities Driven by a Changing Climate” here: https://www.issgovernance.com/library/the-climate-of-mining-investor-risks-and-opportunities-driven-by-a-changing-climate/

The palm oil industry has experienced a three-fold increase of production over the last two decades - the oil and its derivative ingredients are now identifiable in a third of all vegetable oils produced globally, ranging from biodiesel, to makeup, to chocolate spreads. The production does, however, have a significant ecological and social impact – so it is of little surprise that it has attracted so much consumer and investor attention. Tune in to the latest episode of ISS ESG Foreword to hear three of our ESG experts dive a little deeper into this industry, the range of ESG risks that have manifested from it, and discuss how investors can respond to these risks within their portfolios. Ask us questions, let us know your thoughts, or suggest a topic for a future Foreword podcast by writing to us at podcast@iss-esg.com.

Most aspects of “normal” life - including visits with friends and family, the daily commute to school and work, in-person events and conferences - have been put on hold in the wake of COVID-19. Climate change, however, is not one of them. Since the start of extensive temperature data collection in 1880, the 10 hottest years on record have all occurred within the past 15 years. 2019 was the second hottest year on record and 2020 may well follow suit. The data is evident and climate change remains of import to policymakers and investors alike, despite the current global public health crisis. Tune in to the latest episode of the ISS ESG Foreword podcast series as Marija Kramer and Dr. Maximilian Horster examine the impact that widespread lockdowns have thus far had on global climate change and the outlook for investor action on climate change against the backdrop of the global pandemic.

There is an urgent need for companies and investors to examine and address modern slavery and labor exploitation in supply chains, particularly as those at the bottom of supply chains are disproportionately at risk of being severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, ISS ESG experts Justine Muller and Erin Levey discuss modern slavery as well as special considerations for those investors that seek to combat the issue. Ask us questions, let us know your thoughts, or suggest a topic for a future Foreword podcast by writing to us at podcast@iss-esg.com.

With the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on healthcare systems and employment rates around the world, the spotlight now is squarely on national governments as they demonstrate their preparedness and capabilities to mitigate the effects of the crisis. Cue: the ISS ESG Country Rating. What is measured by the ESG Country Rating and what can the rating tell us about the efficacy of governments' ability to prepare and respond to the pandemic? Tune in to ISS ESG Foreword's latest podcast episode, where ESG Country Ratings' Project Lead, Hendrik Leue, and Head of Index Strategy, Hernando Cortina, explore these and other questions. Ask us questions, let us know your thoughts or what you would like to hear about in the Foreword podcast series by writing to us at podcast@iss-esg.com.

You’ve seen it in the news – COVID-19 is having staggering impacts on the market, the degree to which we haven’t seen since 2008. But which industries have been most impacted and what can management teams do to mitigate the effects of the pandemic? Listen in to the 2nd episode of ISS ESG’s Foreword as Anthony Campagna, Global Director of Fundamental Research at ISS EVA and Subodh Mishra, Managing Director of Communications, discuss these questions and more. Ask us questions, let us know your thoughts or what you would like to hear about in the Foreword podcast series by writing to us at podcast@iss-esg.com.

How can tools, data, and climate-friendly indices help shift capital in the direction of more sustainable, greener investment? In this episode of Foreword, ISS ESG’s Yovanka Bylander, Head of North American Client Success, and Hernando Cortina, Head of Index Strategy, talk about the recently announced provisional EU climate benchmark indices from ISS ESG and German index provider, Solactive. The episode’s first half discusses historic climate trends, looks at ways fixed income and equity investments can help mitigate climate change, and describes how to define ESG standards that can help reduce uncertainty in data delivery. The second half then introduces ISS ESG’s two new climate benchmark index families, explains how ISS ESG research & data solutions help tackle violations of SDG goals before moving to the Climate Impact Assessment’s ultimate question: Does your portfolio measure up to the 2-degree scenario? Ask us questions, let us know your thoughts or what you would like to hear about in the Foreword podcast series by writing to us at podcast@iss-esg.com.