UN PRI's upcoming report on ESG in CLOs finds bar is very low
In a preview of the upcoming report, Carmen Nuzzo, head of fixed income at UN Principles for Responsible Investment, reveals to Creditflux key highlights from its ESG in securitisation report

ESG growth in CLOs has momentum in 2021, say JPM strategists
ESG investing in securitised products such as CLOs have 'momentum for growth in 2021' despite very slow volume growth and lack of progress in standardised scoring over the past year, say JP Morgan strategists in a research note

ESG was factor when firing managers for 42% of investors, survey reveals
The latest survey from investment consultant Bfinance shows the coronavirus pandemic increased focus on ESG issues for over a third of investors - and ESG is important when selecting external asset managers

M&G lays out ESG focus with £5 billion pledge to 'sustainable private assets'
M&G is allocating £5 billion ($6.8 billion) from its £136 billion with-profits fund into businesses using a model which places emphasis on ESG, sustainability and impact investing

CLO managers agree to one-time ESG deals
Environmental, social, and corporate govern-ance (ESG) is contin-uing to take root in the CLO market. But the movement is still largely driven by end investors, so some issu-ers are opting to integrate ESG into their investment mandate on a one-off deal-by-deal basis, rather than integrate it into their platform

All types of financing will have to incorporate ESG risks and use their real economy influence
Fund managers can no longer ignore, postpone or hide from measures to tackle climate change

CLO managers offer views on ESG for upcoming PRI report
Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) is set to unveil a report detailing results from its ESG structured credit survey in the next few months, and the institution anticipates that this will be a launch pad for further investigation about ESG integration into the asset class

If you’re not finding black talent, you’re not trying hard enough
In the past few weeks, it has been easy to put up our billboards and tweet our condemnation of the treatment of black people. Now we need to change the way companies work

High yield borrowers face pressure over social data
Two major themes of the credit market in 2020 are on a collision course: high yield issuers playing catch-up after a dearth of issuance and the Black Lives Matter movement putting the focus on the S of ESG investing

Governance has greatest impact on short-term changes in company valuation out of ESG factors, finds MSCI
Governance has more impact than environmental and social factors on company financial fundamentals and stock price in the short term, but ‘E’ and ‘S’ play their part over the long term, according to analysis from MSCI

LP round up: horseshoe does the trick for Pimco and other distressed managers
Institutional investors poured $2.7 billion into credit this week through 14 managers, according to board documentation seen by Creditflux

Zais ESG head to join DWS
Zais Group’s head of ESG (environmental, social, governance) and impact investing is joining DWS as group sustainability officer in New York

Pandemic underlines importance of the S in ESG as compliant companies outperform
For years, assessing environmental risks has been at the forefront of ESG (environmental, social, governance) investing, but there’s been a greater appreciation of the ‘S’ in ESG since the market sell-off in March

PRI unveils ESG workstream for CLOs, loans and ABS
Principles for Responsible Investment has established a workstream on environmental social and governance standards in structured products

Ares hires head of ESG from Partners Group
Ares Management Corporation has appointed a head for its environmental, social and governance (ESG) practice, effective from April  

Points up front: Betting on ESG CLOs
Investing ethically is becoming a big part of credit, with CLO managers among the first to adopt environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment guidelines. So it’s no surprise that ESG criteria were high on the list of talking points at the Structured Finance Association’s SFVegas gathering last month.

ESG pervades US CLOs but screening approach divided
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing is reshaping the US CLO market, with February bringing the first CLOs marketed that have explicit ESG-related investment criteria.

Mercer puts private debt at heart of $2.7 billion fund of fund
Mercer has held a final close at $2.7 billion for a private markets fund that offers investors access to private debt and sustainable products  

New York pensions seek climate change managers
The Comptroller of the City of New York is looking to appoint fixed income managers that invest in climate change solutions, according to a recent notice of search.  

LSTA poses ESG quiz to borrowers
The Loans Syndications and Trading Association has published an environmental, social and governance questionnaire which it anticipates will provide the loan market with a standardised tool to collect ESG-related information from borrowers

Private debt tops the private markets agenda for insurers, finds Schroders
Insurers currently allocate the largest proportion of their private assets’ portfolio to private debt, followed by real estate, according to study published by asset manager Schroders  

US pension hires Wilshire as ESG consultant
The Rhode Island State Investment Commission has appointed investment advisor Wilshire Associates as environmental, social, and governance consultant at a contract worth up to $75,000  

MSCI makes ESG ratings public for over 2,800 companies
MSCI Research has made ESG ratings of over 2,800 companies publicly available, according to an announcement by the firm, hoping to encourage open discussion between investors and companies and drive greater transparency