Users of these services will be able to access a wider range of ESG data, from the overall ESG score of a fund to more detailed metrics such as the social and governance measures and rating distribution, the fund's carbon intensity, green and brown revenue generation and any United Nations Global Compact violations they may have.
Jillis Herpers, head of ESG coverage, EMEA at MSCI, said: “An MSCI ESG fund rating is designed to provide greater comparable transparency and understanding of a fund’s resilience to long-term, industry material ESG risks.
“Our rules-based methodology enables the identification of industry leaders and laggards within a fund and our leading climate data and analytics allows us to provide carbon intensity metrics.”
The partnership comes as earlier this year FE Fundinfo acquired Center for Social and Sustainable Products AG (CSSP), a consulting and research house based in Liechtenstein.
CSSP, which was founded in 2009, provides ESG data and reporting to allow clients to fully understand the ESG and climate-related risks and opportunities within their investments.
FE Fundinfo acquired all of CSSP’s share capital, including the yourSRI.com platform which provides ESG screening and labels on thousands of funds.
Today Philipp Portmann, head of business development and strategy at FE Fundinfo, said: “From fund managers and distributors to financial advisers and the end investor, ESG investing is becoming an increasingly important part of industry thinking.
“The need for clear, accurate and transparent data and reporting has never been stronger, and, as a market-leading fund data business which sits at the heart of the industry, we have been constantly reviewing and enhancing our services in this area by listening to our clients and partners.”
He added: “In MSCI we will be working with a market leading organisation and one that shares our commitment to bringing greater transparency to the industry, allowing investors to make better informed decisions.”
Meanwhile in May, FundInfo acquired cashflow planning provider CashCalc, which will continue to be offered as a stand-alone product, though FE FundInfo said it will invest significantly in the integration of the provider’s platform and back-office services.
sonia.rach@ft.com
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