ESG

Healthcare share prices tend to reflect some trepidation leading up to and shortly after the US presidential elections, yet for the last five elections the sector outperformed in the 12 months following the election.

Donald Trump’s re-election as president of the United States has sparked concerns about his potential impact on key sustainability topics, notably climate action.

China dominates the entire value chain for electric transport motors. The European Union has imposed provisional tariffs to protect its regional auto industry from ‘dumping’, or unfair pricing, of subsidized electric vehicle imports from China. Yet the EU is actively attempting to accelerate the uptake of EVs to meet its 2035 emissions targets.

Two years after the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Agreement, the progress on global biodiversity goals remains mixed. Despite commitments, a limited number of countries (44 out of 196) have submitted their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. The parties have agreed to submit their plans as soon as possible, with a global review scheduled for COP17 and COP19.

Demographic shifts, from ageing populations to rising middle classes, present long-term, diversified investment opportunities, as these structural changes are reshaping the global economy.

Climate change may be the greatest threat to sustainability, but water vulnerability is potentially the most urgent, likely to play out in a shorter time frame.

The investment landscape is evolving against a backdrop of rising economic uncertainties and a cautious market environment, further complicated by geopolitical tensions and upcoming elections.

Kroum Sourov and Christopher Mey, portfolio managers of the sustainable emerging market debt strategy, describe the significance this type of analysis can have for a bond portfolio. They explain Candriam’s investment process, with our emphasis on relative value and risk management. This approach is intended to allow the strategy to adapt the ever-changing markets over the course of an economic cycle.

We promised you transparency. For a comprehensive discussion of our efforts and results, see our [annual] Net Zero Progress Report 2024. We frequently say that it is not just the carbon target, but the path to that target which affects the damage along the way. In this spirit, we share with you along the way our milestones for the four pillars of our Net Zero strategy.

Based on our long-standing views of the financial benefits of sustainability, we integrate some level of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factor analysis across all our investment processes, and particularly for our sustainable investment strategies.

In a world grappling with escalating water issues, prioritizing water as a strategic business imperative has never been more critical. The operational and financial impacts of water-related risks have started materializing. Our conviction is that companies must consider and manage water as the long-term strategic and operational risk it can represent.

While investors are encouraged to consider climate change in their portfolios, to meet regulatory requirements and mitigate climate-related risks, a number of questions remain.

PFAS have been widely used for decades due to their unique properties in various domestic and industrial applications. They are resistant to water and virtually indestructible. They are also seen as the poison of the century. Where do we stand in terms of regulation? What are the PFAS-related risks? Where are the opportunities?

In an ever-evolving financial landscape dominated by data-driven decision-making and economic uncertainty, understanding the nuances of fixed income investing is paramount.

At Candriam, we are active owners and debtholders. We exercise our rights when we believe action can enhance long-term value for our clients and ultimate beneficiaries.

While these objectives are laudable, there are methodological obstacles. The initial objectives of Solvency II were harmonization, financial stability and policyholder protection. The text had therefore been conceived as a risk-based regulation, based on the valuation of the balance sheet on a mark-to-market basis and on capital requirements calibrated using Value at Risk (VaR) with a confidence level of 99.5%.

After a challenging period for green investing, marked by rising interest rates, supply chain issues, and overcapacity, companies committed to building a sustainable world could remain an attractive long-term option for investors seeking both financial returns and positive impact.

Despite constraints on both their human and financial capital, Small- and Mid-Sized companies (SMIDs) share similar business ambitions with their larger counterparts while competing for the same talent. They need talent to fuel their growth, yet that rapid growth can strain employees. Attracting and retaining talent, while simultaneously maintaining workforce productivity, poses a challenge.

With the infrastructure sector poised for growth after a tumultuous period caused by the pandemic and subsequent inflationary boom, which areas could offer investment opportunities?

The impact of the 2024 elections on the decarbonization theme is of paramount importance, considering that the year marks a significant electoral period globally with 64 countries and the European Union - representing nearly half of the global population - heading to the polls.

In the vast subject of the challenges and difficulties of climate analysis from an investor's point of view, scope 3 emissions emerge insistently as one of the main stumbling blocks.

After 2022, which covered the end of a decade of monetary policy loosening, 2023 has been the year of the repricing of the whole interest rate curve. The end of Central Banks’ "higher for longer" mantra supported a steepening of the yield curves and repriced real interest rates which are back now in positive territory, for the first time in close to ten years.

Defined as the “stock of renewable and non-renewable natural resources (e.g.,plants, animals, air, water, soils, minerals) that combine to yield a flow of benefits to people” by the Natural Capital Coalition, natural capital is at the source of everything that surrounds us.

COP28 ended with a final statement that can be considered historic, mentioning for the first time the need to transition away from fossil fuels. However, this landmark deal should be considered as the start of a more ambitious journey, that will remain dependent on governments’ ability to step up their commitments and action.

As the COP28 kicks off at the end of the month in Dubai, we are paying close attention to this highly anticipated event, albeit mixed expectations.