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Through Document Search, FactSet searched for the term “ESG” in the conference call transcripts of all the S&P 500 companies that conducted earnings conference calls from December 15 through March 7. Of these companies, 29 cited the term “ESG” during their earnings calls for the fourth quarter. This number is below the 5-year average of 82 and below the 10-year average of 43. In fact, this is the lowest number of S&P 500 companies citing “ESG” on earnings calls going back to Q2 2019 (22). Since peaking at 155 in Q4 2021, the number of S&P 500 companies citing “ESG” on quarterly earnings calls has declined (quarter-over-quarter) in nine of the past ten quarters. At the sector level, the Financials (6), Utilities (5), and Health Care (4) sectors have the highest number of S&P 500 companies citing “ESG” on earnings calls for Q4. On the other hand, the Utilities (17%) and Energy (15%) sectors have the highest percentages of S&P 500 companies citing “ESG” on earnings calls for Q4. source : factset

ETFs that invest in companies with at least 25% women on their boards outperformed by 2.2% in 2023 rivals that invest in firms with fewer female directors. Statistical analysis suggests that relationship may be more causal than coincidental, adding to the value proposition of female corporate oversight.

Source: Bloomberg Intelligence

The dwindling demand is evident in the Americas from the slowdown in sales of new exchange-traded funds and the pickup in fund closures and outflows, according to senior ESG strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence. In 2023, the region saw just 48 new ETFs introduced, down from 104 in 2022 and 125 in 2021, data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence show. A net $4.3 billion was pulled last year from ESG-focused ETFs in the US, marking the first-ever annual outflows. The $13 billion iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ticker ESGU), the largest ESG-focused ETF, is seeing continued outflows this year, with $809 million yanked from the fund after a $9 billion exodus last year. Meanwhile, 36 ESG-labeled ETFs were liquidated in the Americas during 2023, more than double the prior year, data from Bloomberg Intelligence show. Almost 60% of the funds that were closed were actively managed. source : yahoo!finance, bloomberg

The low-cost business model that democratized air travel in recent decades has now become an unlikely template for reducing pollution. That’s because budget airlines’ obsession with lowering weight in order to save fuel also happens to produce the best emissions metrics in the skies.

Source Bloomberg, Envest Global

Net inflows totaled $38.6 billion year-to-date
Net inflows totaled $40.5 billion over the last year

Source: Bloomberg

As the carbon offset market gets a new lease on life from the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, bankers from Wall Street and the City of London are positioning themselves to get a chunk of the dealmaking they say is coming.
Banks that have been building up carbon trading and finance desks include Goldman Sachs Group, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Barclays.
Source: Bloomberg

Hedge funds are calling out fake green claims and overblown valuations boosted by stimulus. Blackrock & State Street are shutting down some ESG funds. Liquidation of ESG funds in 2023 is already larger than the last 3 years combined, And the year is not over.... Source: Genevieve Roch-Decter, CFA, Bloomberg

The surge in money going into biodiversity funds is the "next frontier" of ESG investing and warrants increased monitoring to avoid greenwashing, the European Union's securities regulator said.

The cumulative flow of money into biodiversity funds reached 854 million euros ($931 million) in the two years to June 2023, with 73% of the funds launched since 2022.
Source: Reuters