Knowledge and Insight - Esg

The beginning of the year brought a glimmer of hope with strong equity markets, falling energy prices and easing inflation. Global growth forecasts improved as China re-opened, and the World Economic Forum identified climate change as the most pressing risk to global growth in the next decade.

The last 12 months delivered many shocks to the markets, but positive news emerged towards the end of the year with COP27 and COP15 summits reiterating the urgent need to halt the climate crisis and to protect and enhance natural habitats for a more sustainable future.

After a few days of reflection following a historic agreement being reached at COP15 to reverse nature loss this decade, our stewardship and engagement lead, Sophie Lawrence shares her five key takeaways from the global biodiversity conference.

October saw rising inflation, high interest rates and continued volatility of the pound, culminating in the appointment of both a new Prime Minister and a new Chancellor. We wait to see how they intend to manage the economy in the planned Autumn statement later in November.

Concerns about the UK government’s mini-budget led to highly volatile markets, but will the government’s plans for growth also have longer-term negative implications for the UK’s climate targets and environmental laws?

Rathbone Greenbank co-founder wins 'Outstanding contribution to the sustainable investment industry’ award.

Experts from different stakeholder groups met to discuss how financial institutions can measure biodiversity impacts and dependencies.

Rathbone Greenbank are delighted to be an official event partner for Good Money Week – the annual event of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF).

The Rathbone Greenbank engagement review represents a small snapshot of our engagement activity in 2021 and our plans for 2022.

With the cost-of-living crisis showing no sign of abating, this month’s Market Update considers the risks of energy and food shortages this winter, and a longer-term global recession - and what governments (and the financial sector) could do to help, while ensuring that emissions targets and net zero goals are met.

Is inflation out of control? In this month’s Market Update we look at why those with the least are being hit the hardest, and how the US Supreme Court’s recent Environmental Protection Agency ruling puts big investors in the hot seat on climate change.

Short-term and long-term performance. In this month’s Market Update we look at the recent high performance of companies operating in the fossil fuel sector, plus the negative and positive impact on climate change targets as the global supply of energy from renewable sources falls short of meeting global demand.