ESG

AI is accelerating scientific research, infrastructure development, communications and finance, as well as contributing to the fight against climate change

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.

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Les précipitations extrêmes et les sécheresses étant de plus en plus fréquentes, près de la moitié de la population mondiale est aujourd'hui confrontée à une grave pénurie d'eau pendant au moins une partie de l'année, selon les Nations unies.

Public awareness has risen on the risks posed by PFAS on health and on the environment. Business-wise, companies are facing increasing regulatory and market risks. Investors however should also be open to the potential opportunities offered by the PFAS market.

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.

As freshwater dwindles and the urgency for action increases, innovation and responsible practices are key to meeting this growing challenge and unlocking opportunities in a water-stressed world.

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.

The simplest and most abundant chemical element in the universe, hydrogen, discovered in 1766, has long been heralded as a key element in the energy transition.

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.

There are several examples of emerging markets where corporate governance standards and ESG disclosure have evolved in recent years, among which China, India, South Korea, Taiwan…

Good news! The five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States is now 90%[1]. Unfortunately, when looking at other statistics, the outlook worrying: one in eight women will develop an invasive form of breast cancer during their lifetime. In 2020, two million new cancer cases were diagnosed worldwide. Breast cancer is the most common cancer type among women and the second deadliest, following lung cancer. To better understand the urgency of treatments: in 2020, 685,000 women lost their lives from breast cancer.

Unilever, a leader in household and personal care products, is also one of the world's top five manufacturers of packaged food products. 

In our 2022 Engagement report, we offered a case study describing how we begin a topical campaign.

At Candriam, we are both more active and more demanding in our engagement activities, an attitude shared by several other investors, mostly European.