If you’re a business leader or investor, you’ve probably heard of carbon credits by now. But what are they and why should you care? In essence, carbon credits are a way to monetize CO2 emissions reductions. That may sound like a complex concept, but it’s really not. By buying carbon credits, companies and individuals can […]
The Paris Climate Agreement is an international commitment to fight climate change and reduce greenhouse gases that cause global warming. On Earth Day, April 22, 2016, 175 countries signed on to the agreement, with several more expected to ratify it in the next few weeks. Unanimously adopted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
ESG is an investment framework that integrates environmental, social and governance factors into the investment process. ESG Frameworks are now being used by many leading global investors to better understand risk and opportunity. ESGs are also increasingly being integrated into mainstream strategies for both institutional asset owners as well as retail investors. For example, BlackRock
As companies strive for efficiency and sustainability, the need for integrated reports is increasing. Integrated reports are a compilation of financial and non-financial information that provides a holistic view of a company’s performance. They allow stakeholders to assess a company’s ability to create value over time, and can help identify areas for improvement. The need
ESG disclosure is the process of communicating a company’s environmental, social, and governance policies and performance to its stakeholders. The goal of ESG disclosure is to provide investors with information that will help them make informed investment decisions. ESG disclosure has become increasingly important in recent years as investors have become more interested in how
In the past few years, there have been many changes in investment strategies. Many of these changes are a result of investors wanting to make sure that they invest responsibly and ethically. For instance, Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) is an investment strategy that has its roots in religious beliefs and focuses on avoiding investments with
You may not know what auditing is or how it applies to you, but you should. Auditing is the process of systematically examining and reviewing an entity’s accounts and records so as to verify their accuracy, reliability, legitimacy, and completeness. It has evolved over time into a procedure that every company needs to do in
The rise of ESG Investing has been noted by many people and it is not hard to understand why. ESG investing, according to the U.S. National Association of State Boards of Investment (NASBI), is defined as “a strategy that focuses on companies with strong environmental, social and governance practices” which are evaluated in a transparent
ESG Real Estate Funds are investments that are an opportunity to create positive social and environmental impact. It all starts with ESG, which stands for “environmental, social and governance.” ESG funds invest primarily in companies that have high environmental stewardship, and social responsibility practices are are ethical in nature. An ESG fund can be thought
Audits often conjure an image of agents in skinny black ties poring over financial records. But audits involve much more than that – they also require a close examination of the assertions made by companies about their finances. By assessing whether these claims are accurate and supported, auditors provide invaluable insight to ensure everyone involved