Press Release - Boston, London, Nice, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, February 1, 2022
Scientific Beta wins 'Best Specialist ESG Index Provider' at the ESG Investing Awards 2022
Scientific Beta has been named Best Specialist ESG Index Provider at the ESG Investing Awards 2022, which celebrate excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) research, ratings, funds, and products.
The award recognises Scientific Beta's provision of a highly innovative index series that has no equivalent at Scientific Beta's peers: the Climate Impact Consistent Indices (CICI). The CICI offering is the only pure climate index offering on the market. Unlike traditional climate indices and benchmarks, which combine financial and climate criteria, either in the form of tilts applied to reference cap weights, or of carbon intensity score optimisation under tracking error constraints, the CIC indices make the weights of stocks depend solely on their climate performance. This avoids financial considerations contradicting climate considerations.
The ESG Investing Awards, now in their third year, are judged by an independent panel of experts from industry and academia. The Awards celebrate the most impactful products, funds and initiatives that are making a positive contribution towards the integrity, uptake and success of ESG investing.
Commenting on the award, Noël Amenc, CEO of Scientific Beta, said, "We are delighted with this major recognition of Scientific Beta and our Climate Impact Consistent Indices. CICI is positioned for implementing the recommendations of the Net-Zero investment coalitions at the portfolio-construction level. In particular, the Paris Aligned Investment Initiative (PAII) Framework states that one of the key elements of a "Paris aligned stewardship approach" is to develop an engagement strategy with a feedback loop to portfolio construction. CICI allows for the practical implementation of this approach where engagement and portfolio construction are neither mutually exclusive nor independent and instead are mutually reinforcing."
Matthew Clements, editor of ESG Investing, commented, "This year we have received nearly double the number of nominations from 2021 and our judges have been asked to assess finalists of outstanding quality across all categories. We have also seen a blossoming of new ESG fund types as well as a considerable expansion in the quantity and scope of ESG research and product offerings. This is a trend that is set to continue as ESG becomes more embedded in investment mandates globally, and sustainability issues move to the forefront of investors' priorities. Many thanks to all our judges and congratulations to our winners and finalists."
About Scientific Beta:
Scientific Beta aims to be the first provider of a smart factor and ESG/climate index platform to help investors understand and invest in advanced factor and ESG/climate equity strategies. Established by EDHEC-Risk Institute, one of the top academic institutions in the field of fundamental and applied research for the investment industry, Scientific Beta shares the same concern for scientific rigour and veracity, which it applies to all the services that it offers investors and asset managers.
On January 31, 2020, Singapore Exchange (SGX) acquired a majority stake in Scientific Beta. SGX is maintaining the strong collaboration with EDHEC Business School, and principles of independent, empirical-based academic research, that have benefited Scientific Beta’s development to date. Since 2015, Scientific Beta has also been offering highly advanced strategies in the area of ESG and climate change, whether involving options integrated into smart beta indices or pure ESG or climate benchmarks.
As a complement to its own research, Scientific Beta supports an important research initiative developed by EDHEC on ESG and climate investing and cooperates with V.E and ISS ESG for the construction of its ESG and climate indices.
Scientific Beta, 1 George Street, #15-02, Singapore 049145. For further information, please contact: contact@scientificbeta.com, Web: www.scientificbeta.com.
