Ogier Global is launching a new online product, ESG Align, designed to help global asset managers get up to speed with environmental, social and governance (ESG) themes, terminology and regulatory requirements.
Ogier Global is launching a new online product, ESG Align, designed to help global asset managers get up to speed with environmental, social and governance (ESG) themes, terminology and regulatory requirements.
Created by Ogier Global’s Sustainable Investment Consulting team, the interactive digital platform has been devised in response to increased demand for ESG expertise among asset managers, and has been designed to elevate managers’ understanding of climate-related risk in portfolio management.
Set to feature a series of training and assessment tools, ESG Align is launching with a flexible, web-based training and assessment module, ‘Understanding Risk’. Available from September, this 60-minute training course is aimed at asset managers across all jurisdictions and will provide guidance on how they can integrate climate metrics into their risk management processes and give real life examples of ESG strategy integration.
Further, ESG Align launches just as the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong releases its significant consultation conclusions on the management and disclosure of climate-related risks by fund managers (20 August 2021).
The ‘Compliance Check’ tool within ESG Align, available for demo from Q4 2021 and designed specifically for Hong Kong-based SFC-licensed fund managers, provides a useful check against the new SFC requirements and will help managers get a better understanding of gaps in their current disclosure and risk management approach by creating a tailored report and action plan.
Leonie Kelly, Director – Head of Ogier Global’s Sustainable Investment Consulting, says: “Regardless of whether investors tilt towards environmental or social objectives, the impact of climate change cannot be ignored. Addressing climate change, alongside other ESG issues, will only become more dominant in the market. This has become evident with increased ESG regulation around the world, including recently in Hong Kong.
“ESG Align has been designed to help asset managers all over the world and across all asset classes improve their understanding of climate-risk and take the necessary actions to get climate ready – including helping managers in Hong Kong with interpreting the SFC Fund Manager Code of Conduct (FMCC) climate-related regulations.”
Ogier Global’s Sustainable Investment Consulting is a pioneering, purpose-driven advisory practice that helps clients embed ESG and impact goals into their long-term strategic thinking. It works across the spectrum of asset classes, helping asset owners, asset managers, banks, corporates, investment funds, institutional investors, private wealth, family offices and foundations to transform sustainability challenges into opportunities.
“It is critical for managers in all locations to be ahead of client and regulatory developments,” adds Leonie, who has more than 12 years of experience working at the forefront of sustainable finance. “We developed ESG Align with this challenge in mind – enabling them to assess their compliance requirements and set out actions to manage them. It is designed to empower managers with knowledge and importantly provides practical case studies of climate-risk investment management across strategies.”
