Transition Risk for Oil & Gas Companies: Addressing the Disclosure Gap
As the world transitions towards a low-carbon economy, investors are increasingly interested in how oil and gas companies plan to address related risks. Most companies in the industry recognize that their business is exposed to risks related to carbon regulations, decreasing demand for its products, or increasing costs related to the implementation of emission reduction technologies. However, when it comes to addressing these risks, disclosure is limited (as we noted in our July 2017 blog post on the Task Force for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures [TCFD]). Oil and gas companies will have to increase and improve their disclosure if they want to convince investors of the viability of their business model in a carbon-constrained world.
Managing Portfolio Exposure to Firearms: What investor can do
The February 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and the subsequent student protests and activism have reignited America’s debate over gun safety. Interestingly, the conversation has shifted to public pension investment in the firearms industry. As passive investors take a closer look at their holdings, some are asking what steps they can take to reduce their exposure firearms manufacturers and retailers.
Nuclear Weapons: The Next “No-Go” Area for Investors?
The start of 2018 brought two interesting developments to the responsible investing community. On January 11th, the Dutch 405 billion euro pension fund ABP announced that it will take steps to exclude nuclear weapons and tobacco companies from its investments. Within a week, Norges Bank declared the addition of five companies to the 870 billion euro Government Pension Fund Global exclusion list due to involvement with nuclear weapons.
Blockchain: A new ESG tool?
Significant developments in the use of blockchain have occurred over the past year with applications across finance, supply chain, and healthcare, to name a few. As institutions have developed and deployed market solutions, the technology has gained momentum (as we noted in our 10 for 2017 report). However, until its use becomes widespread, blockchain will remain conceptual for most people, much akin to describing the internet before it became ubiquitous. So, what is blockchain exactly and can it be used to advance sustainability management?
US Lawmakers Act Against Tax Inversions: Implications for Corporate Governance
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”), which came into effect on 1 January 2018, marks one of the most substantial reforms to the United States tax code in more than 30 years. In response to growing public pressure, US lawmakers have enacted wide-reaching tax reforms to curb the trend of tax inversions. These tax arrangements involve the re-incorporation of US companies abroad, enabling them to avoid US laws and domestic tax rates. This blog will examine how a corporate inversion – the most common type of tax move – erodes the US tax base and increases investment risk.
Meltdown and Spectre: Exposing the Achilles’ Heel of Chips
In January 2018, technology website The Register reported on security flaws in microchips that make a range of devices, from PC computers to servers and smartphones, more susceptible to hacking and could enable unrestricted access to sensitive information, such as passwords. What will this mean for chip manufacturers and how will it affect the broader technology value chain?
Auditor Independence: Lessons from KPMG South Africa & Other Scandals
A good reputation is arguably one of an audit firm’s most valuable assets. But when auditor independence is compromised, it can have very negative consequences for the relevant stakeholders and, in extreme cases, it can even undermine the public’s trust in a country’s financial system. Recent controversies at Tesco and BT Group, involving PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), have led to the unprecedented termination of important business relationships going back three decades. KPMG South Africa’ involvement in a political corruption scandal is also proving to have even more far-reaching implications, which risks impacting KPMG’s international operations. In this blog post, I will delve into these controversies and highlight the mechanisms that can help to preserve auditor independence and maintain a strong reputation.
<UPDATE> P&G vs Trian Partners - the Largest Proxy Fight in History
Preliminary results show that Nelson Peltz lost his proxy contest against P&G. At the conclusion of the AGM, the company announced the election to the board of all 11 of its nominees. Peltz is not yet admitting defeat, stating that the vote results are” too close to call” (within a 1% margin), and has called for P&G to appoint him on the board regardless the vote count. Following the news, P&G’s stock price dropped by 2.7% to USD 89.86, closing, however, at USD 91.62.
From Guidance to Compliance: What does New York’s Cybersecurity Regulation Mean?
New York State’s new cybersecurity regulation for financial institutions is meant to help safeguard companies and the industry against cybersecurity threats. It goes beyond many other regulations by, among other things, making some of the guidance and recommended best practices mandatory. Cybersecurity is already considered a material ESG risk for the financial services industry, but with the new regulation this risk is compounded with regulatory concerns.
Whole Risk, Whole Opportunity: The ESG implications of Amazon’s Whole Foods Acquisition
Amazon’s expansionism has brought it into multicategory retailing, consumer electronics, cloud computing, logistics and media production. Now, with its recent USD 13.7bn acquisition of Whole Foods Market, it strides into brick-and-mortar grocery retailing. As Amazon expands in all directions, so does the frontier of its ESG risks and opportunities. How do grocery stores fit into Amazon’s customer-obsessed technocracy? And how will it use the Whole Foods brand, built on a foundation of upmarket ethical consumerism?
Fox Sky Takeover: Why Content Governance Matters
The power of media companies to shape societal dialogue and act as gatekeepers of content is coming under increased scrutiny. This is starting to impact the industry as demonstrated in the challenges American media giant Twenty-First Century Fox (Fox) is facing in its proposed GBP 11.7 billion (USD 15 billion) takeover of UK broadcaster Sky plc.
Will the Consolidation in the Chemical Industry change its ESG Risk Profile?
When the stock market closes today, the DowDuPont merger will officially be finalized and the new entity will start trading under the ticker DWDP (as of September first). This is the most recent – and certainly one of the most significant – mergers in an industry that has seen unprecedented consolidation. But what are the social and environmental ramifications of this consolidation and does it risk changing the industry’s ESG risk profile?