Enshrining climate change into international law through the Paris Agreement was a triumph of collective will. However, as practical and political hurdles come into play, what are the next steps to make this ambition a reality? The introduction of Article 173 in France and the European Union’s High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance are leading the way in terms of setting out the path for financial firms to follow. We look at what we can expect from governments and regulators over the next year. And the practical solutions available to help address climate change.

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have catapulted impact investing into the spotlight. Once considered the cutting edge of responsible investing approaches, impact investing is now held up as the poster child solution to the UN’s call-to-action. But in the rush to provide solutions, what issues are at risk of being overlooked? Here we take a detailed look at what the UN’s SDGs are, how they can be implemented and the underlying projects that are delivering on both financial and social impact criteria.

Advances in analytical tools and techniques are the drivers of financial innovation. As responsible investing moves into the mainstream, how can these techniques be applied to a broader criteria to help analyse the effectiveness of ESG solutions? Greater disclosure requirements and the demand for better transparency mean that investors not only want to see more diverse data sets but they also want to be able to make comparisons in a systematic and consistent way. Here we look how research and analysis can help focus investment exposure towards more responsible long-terms assets.

In every sector  across the world, companies are starting to see the reputational consequences of not living up to their claims of corporate responsibility. To retain any credibility, asset managers must use the voting powers their clients have entrusted them with to champion change. In this section we outline our engagement activities and show how creating a dialogue with companies can be successful in changing behaviour.  Our voting record shows we are not afraid to challenge conventional corporate thinking, particularly in areas of climate change, board diversity and excessive remuneration.