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ESMA’s recent guidance on fund naming has brought greater clarity and more concrete expectations for funds making sustainability or impact-related claims.

AI is rapidly transforming the landscape of equity investing. For positive impact investors, AI presents a powerful enabling technology, one that, like electricity or the internet, can be used for both good and bad depending on how it is applied. Our focus is on how AI can serve as a catalyst for positive social and environmental outcomes while generating sustainable financial returns.

Our impact investing franchise keeps growing, and with it the team’s conviction and dedication. Through the case studies and data in their annual report they give us a glimpse of their eventful year.

From 9–12 December, Building Bridges attracted over 3,000 professionals from banks, insurance companies, big corporations, governments, international organisations, NGOs and academia for more than 70 plenary sessions, discussions, and workshops. Combined with over 6,000 viewers online, attendance at the 2024 edition of Switzerland’s leading sustainable finance event reached a record high.

In the three years since the launch of our biodiversity strategy, the investment landscape has undergone significant transformations, particularly in the realm of biodiversity and nature finance.

Artificial intelligence has been discussed at previous climate conferences: as early as 2021 in Glasgow, there were discussions about both the benefits of AI, and the probable need for additional resources to power it.

We explore the importance of nature in our economies and societies – the concept of 'nature-positive', and how businesses can contribute to this global societal goal – in our interview with Dr Noëlle Kümpel, Senior Advisor at BirdLife International.

As part of its partnership with Peace Parks Foundation, UBP is guided by their expertise in biodiversity measurement and applies this knowledge when engaging with the corporate sector. The aim is to help companies learn from the conservation specialists and disclose more accurate data on nature.

In a bid to preserve their own industries and reduce their dependency on China, the US and EU recently raised trade barriers against Chinese companies, sparking concerns about the cost and pace of the West’s energy transition. The debate is complex, and environmental and social externalities are a crucial part of it.

Research confirms that companies that do not embed sustainability targets into executive remuneration strategies struggle to motivate executives to adopt sustainable practices, leading to misalignment with societal expectations and stakeholder interests.

We believe that the time is ripe to consider allocations to emerging equities for impact investors. Mathieu Nègre, Co-Head of Impact Investing, covers both the regional and thematic aspects and shares our outlook.

2023 offered a mixed bag for sustainability. While economic anxieties dominated the news cycle, significant strides were made in recognising the interconnectedness of environmental and financial well-being.