Ex-Goldman’s Kathy Matsui Starts ESG Venture Capital Fund

May 31, 2021

(Bloomberg) MPower Partners Fund will focus on investing in growth- to late-stage Japanese startups, with the rest going into earlier-stage firms overseas in areas like healthcare, fintech and sustainability.

A Glimpse of a Future With True Shareholder Democracy

May 21, 2021

(The New York Times) Under current rules, it is the index fund executives, not the millions of people who invest in them, who have the power to cast proxy votes. Those votes are the heart of a system intended to give investors a voice on crucial matters like how much the chief executive is paid…

Turn green or lose ‘licence to operate’, says Deutsche Bank chief

May 21, 2021

(Financial Times) Facing pressure from investors and activists, Deutsche Bank for the first time broke down its targets across its businesses. The investment bank will have to account for €105bn of the green business; the private bank will be required to contribute €86bn and the corporate bank €30bn.

How Investors Can Embrace the “S” in ESG

May 18, 2021

(RFK Human Rights) Data on companies’ social metrics may still be incomplete, but that shouldn’t prevent investors from screening businesses for labor and human rights violations. The key is to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Dear Exxon Mobil: I See a Bad Moon Rising (For You)

May 18, 2021

(Forbes) I am certainly no soothsayer, but I see trouble on the way for ExxonMobil’s board and management. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you got your things together since there’s a bad moon on the rise.

BLCK VC Launches Scout Program With Lightspeed, Sequoia To Support More Black Investors

May 11, 2021

(Forbes) For all the high-speed growth and innovation that venture capital is supposed to fuel, the industry itself isn’t structured for quick change. BLCK VC co-founder Sydney Sykes knows it first-hand. Since last summer, firms have reached out to Sykes for advice on changes they can make fast.

Barclay’s Derailed Prison Bond Deal Shows Growing Might of ESG

April 20, 2021

(Bloomberg) A small group of investors circulated a letter lambasting Barclays Plc for helping to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to build two privately owned prisons in Alabama — two years after the bank publicly vowed to cut financing ties with the for-profit industry.

Standards Smooth Path to Sustainability-Linked Financing

April 16, 2021

(ESG Investor) Jeff Cohen, Director of Capital Markets Integration at SASB, explains how issuers can use sustainability disclosures to expand their funding options.

ESG issues challenge the IPO of UK delivery giant

April 15, 2021

(Responsible Investor) Deliveroo: The worst IPO in history, with a side-order of ESG investor boycott. The Gig Economy is under scrutiny for legal and governance sustainability risks.

When it comes to climate investment funds, diverse management is imperative

April 13, 2021

(GreenBiz) While social, human and natural capital are all critical, financial capital is the one form that systemically fails the companies and leaders working on the most impactful solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals.