The latest developments in and around sustainable investing.

Aberdeen Standard Investments
Recently rebranded "abrdn," Aberdeen Standard Investments is establishing the abrdn Sustainability Institute in Asia to support building “a resilient environmental, social and governance ecosystem in Asia Pacific,” the firm said.

ASI currently has five dedicated ESG specialists based in Singapore and Australia. Establishing a regional hub will involve supporting asset owners towards achieving their net-zero targets and developing more best-practice sustainability training for investors and distributors across asset classes. It will bring together ESG specialists covering several business functions, including regulation, product development, distribution and corporate sustainability as well as investment specialists, the firm said.

The institute will be led by Danielle Welsh-Rose, ESG investment director for Asia Pacific, and advised by a sustainable investment advisory board, chaired by CEO for Asia Pacific René Buehlmann.

“Asia is still far behind the rest of the world in deploying sustainable investment strategies, but is moving fast to catch up with client demand. Capitalising on our deep global and Asian ESG expertise, there is an opportunity for us to drive positive changes in the industry. Active engagement with companies, policymakers, industry partners and clients on ESG matters will be key to help build an impactful sustainable investing infrastructure in the region,” Buehlmann said.

ASI says it aims to introduce a series of new sustainable and climate-focused strategies to Asian investors in coming months.