NEW YORK, Aug. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Guggenheim Investments, the worldwide asset administration and funding advisory enterprise of Guggenheim Companions, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) at the moment launched the outcomes of a world survey on the accumulating, reporting and utility of environmental, social and governance (ESG) knowledge in infrastructure tasks. “Testing Trade Attitudes Towards a Widespread Reporting Strategy for ESG Information Use in Infrastructure Funding,” carried out by KPMG Advisory N.V. and Mott MacDonald, takes the distinctive strategy of surveying each ESG knowledge customers and knowledge preparers to discover whether or not an industrywide commonplace strategy to measuring ESG in infrastructure funding is desired and the way this is likely to be achieved.

The survey is a part of an ongoing collaboration between Guggenheim and WWF to raised perceive the parameters of sustainable infrastructure. By this collaboration, Guggenheim and WWF goal to assist the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Growth Targets (SDGs) by contributing to the event of a attainable framework for enabling future infrastructure to be sustainable and resilient and defending the pure property that profit society and economies. The collaboration acknowledges that, given the numerous want for international funding in infrastructure, it’s crucial that traders are enabled to guage the sustainability and resiliency of infrastructure tasks.

The survey outcomes exhibit that each knowledge customers and knowledge preparers are in search of well-defined and constant metrics, requirements and reporting frameworks for ESG. The output means that the market sees worth in convergence on an industry-tailored set of metrics for ESG knowledge, however with nearly 40 totally different frameworks presently in use by respondents, there may be vital divergence in present ESG requirements. In keeping with the survey outcomes, each knowledge customers and knowledge suppliers consider that, other than standardization and simplification, there are two mechanisms which will enhance measurable integration of ESG into infrastructure funding: authorities regulation relating to ESG disclosures and strain from traders and lenders.

In a joint letter accompanying the report, Scott Minerd, chairman of Guggenheim Investments and Guggenheim Companions international chief funding officer, and Carter Roberts, president & CEO of WWF, wrote:

“If infrastructure tasks may clearly define compelling monetary return propositions and ecosystem advantages, they may faucet into the institutional capital they should obtain the UN SDGs, facilitate the expansion of growing nations, and improve the present inventory of growing old capital property world wide. The important thing to unlocking this capital is an agreed-upon set of requirements that might certify a challenge as sustainable … We agree with the authors of this report, who conclude that ‘the time for motion is now.’ Developments in local weather change and the COVID-19 disaster have led to an awakening within the finance sector of its roles and obligations in securing a wholesome and secure planet and international economic system. In the meantime, governments have additionally stepped up their regulatory activism on this space. Within the close to future, we count on to see essential developments on this area.”

The objective of the survey and interviews was to fill remaining gaps in understanding of {industry} views on the usage of ESG knowledge, together with requirements and ideas, in infrastructure growth. The survey methodology consisted of three main parts: a desktop evaluate to set the inspiration for the challenge, an {industry} survey, and {industry} interviews. The {industry} survey and interviews have been targeted on figuring out the important thing challenges of infrastructure for ESG knowledge customers and knowledge preparers. Additional, they investigated whether or not and the way the {industry} ought to transfer towards extra standardization of ESG metrics and reporting. The survey and interviews have been carried out between January and March 2022, and the survey acquired 50 responses total, together with 31 knowledge customers and 19 knowledge preparers.

The takeaways that emerged from this examine are that it’s time to take motion on ESG knowledge in infrastructure and work towards an ordinary set of metrics for use universally. The important thing to attaining consistency can be frequent industry-accepted definitions of “E,” “S” and “G.” The urgency to handle rising and evolving dangers associated to ESG and the pace of regulators across the globe introducing new necessary necessities counsel a fast evolutionary tempo for ESG within the investor group.

The outcomes of the survey exhibit that progress is being made towards internationally acknowledged requirements for establishing the sustainability of infrastructure tasks. First, there may be a variety of frameworks, labels and ideas in use throughout {the marketplace} to evaluate sustainability. As well as, each knowledge preparers and knowledge customers agree there can be worth in convergence towards a standardized baseline set of ESG metrics within the infrastructure asset life cycle. However, the outcomes of this challenge additionally present that efforts to enhance reporting requirements and metrics stay inadequate.

The 41-page report, which incorporates particulars on the survey and the interviews, is out there now.

For extra data, please go to https://www.guggenheiminvestments.com/agency/sustainable-investing-esg/guggenheim-sustainablity-quotient.

About Guggenheim Investments

Guggenheim Investments is the worldwide asset administration and funding advisory division of Guggenheim Companions, with greater than $228 billion¹ in whole property throughout fastened earnings, fairness, and various methods. We give attention to the return and threat wants of insurance coverage corporations, company and public pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, consultants, wealth managers, and high-net-worth traders. Our 250+ funding professionals carry out rigorous analysis to know market developments and establish undervalued alternatives in areas which can be usually complicated and underfollowed. This strategy to funding administration has enabled us to ship modern methods offering diversification alternatives and engaging long-term outcomes.

About World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

WWF is without doubt one of the world’s main conservation organizations, working for 60 years in practically 100 nations to assist folks and nature thrive. With the assist of 1.three million members in the USA and greater than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is devoted to delivering science-based options to protect the variety and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the surroundings, and fight the local weather disaster. Go to worldwildlife.org to study extra; observe @WWFNews on Twitter to maintain up with the most recent conservation information; and join our publication and information alerts right here.

Media Contact

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1. Guggenheim Investments property underneath administration are as of 6.30.2022 and embrace leverage of $18.3bn.Guggenheim Investments represents the next affiliated funding administration companies of Guggenheim Companions, LLC: Guggenheim Companions Funding Administration, LLC, Safety Traders, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Funding Advisors, LLC, Guggenheim Companions Advisors, LLC, Guggenheim Company Funding, LLC, Guggenheim Companions Europe Restricted, Guggenheim Companions Fund Administration (Europe) Restricted, Guggenheim Companions Japan Restricted, GS GAMMA Advisors, LLC, and Guggenheim Companions India Administration.

Investing includes threat, together with the attainable lack of principal. Infrastructure investments could also be topic to a wide range of dangers, not all of which might be foreseen or quantified, together with working, financial, environmental, industrial, forex, regulatory, political and monetary dangers. Investing in a selected sector reminiscent of infrastructure is extra unstable than investing in a broadly diversified portfolio, as there’s a higher threat as a result of focus of holdings in issuers of comparable choices. Sustainability necessities could restrict out there investments, which may hinder efficiency when in comparison with methods with no such necessities.

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© 2022, Guggenheim Investments and World Wildlife Fund, Inc. No a part of this text could also be reproduced in any kind in another publication, with out categorical written permission of Guggenheim Investments, or World Wildlife Fund.

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