Developments and commentary in and around the ESG investment space.

LGT
LGT, the private bank, has signed the Principles for Responsible Banking developed by the United Nations.

The Principles are designed to put banks in sync with the objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement covering curbing carbon emissions.

"It is the task of every company to assume its responsibility towards society and the environment and to make a contribution to a future worth living. LGT is convinced of this. That is why we also support the efforts of the United Nations to make the global financial sector more sustainable. I am proud that by signing the Principles for Responsible Banking, we can be part of the solution to the greatest challenges of our time," HSH Prince Max von und zu Liechtenstein, chairman of LGT Group, said. 

DWS
DWS has committed itself to a set of “human capital” reporting standards designed to improve how firms are run and employees are treated. 

The asset management firm has signed up to the Human Capital Reporting Standards ISO30414 - set out by the International Standards Organization at the end of 2018.

The standards guide companies on the metrics that they report internally and those which they should disclose to the public, such as recruitment and turnover, productivity, health and safety, and leadership. 

“This is particularly important given that enhanced human capital disclosures will improve sustainability, investment analysis, investee engagement and stewardship, client understanding and the management of organisations globally,” Kristina Fluegel, head of DWS Human Resources, said. 

The firm said that its stance is part of its commitment to the “Social” and “Governance” elements of ESG investing.

Apex Group 
Apex Group, the financial services firm, has launched Invest Check, a tool that collects data which enables asset managers to report on and comply with forthcoming European Union regulations on sustainable finance.

Coming into force in March this year, the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation requires asset managers to take note of sustainability risks – such as carbon energy use – across the investment process, including how products are overseen.

Invest Check evaluates an asset manager’s sustainability strategy at both manager and product level, tracks performance and identifies gaps against an ESG set of figures that are based on regulatory standards.