sasb

Sustainability has become a prominent topic of discussion in business, but it can mean different things to different people. Jeffrey Hales, Ph.D., professor of accounting at the University of Texas at Austin and chairman of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), explains what it means to management accountants. As SASB chair, Hales heads efforts to set standards for how companies should account for sustainability issues that represent likely financially material risks and opportunities within industries.

This is the first in a series of episodes that explore how the finance function can drive sustainable business success and account for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.

In this episode, Lyndsey talks with Agnes Tai, Senior Partner of Yaozhi Asset Management International and an ESG thought leader. And Agnes has been a sustainable investor for many years.

The conversation of this episode focuses on stewardship and ESG reporting challenges and development in major Asian finance hubs.

Conversation Highlights

• Stewardship in Asia
  • Actively Proxy voting is just started in Asian companies, especially for E and S factors (4:00)
  • Stewardship in Asia is just become active and rewarding (5:40)

• ESG reporting challenges for Asian companies
  • Corporate progress on sustainable reporting (7:20)
  • Three Challenges in ESG reporting – lack of standard, confusing of various international standard, standard for data comparation, green washing, PR exercise, etc. (9:40)
  • ESG Service providers in Hong Kong are not standardized (12:30)

• What activities can be most supportive for ESG reporting improvement in Asian market
  • Various reporting standard on market today (14:40)
  • TCFD reporting is the focus of Asia market at the moment leading by Japan (JPIF) (15:20)
  • ESG education and incentives programs in Hong Kong (17:40)

• What are the biggest differences in HKEX 2020 new regime vs. previous ESG guidance
  • Climate-related disclosure only (19:00)
  • Transition risks, regulation risk and consumer behavior changes affect long-term reliability of business (22:30)
  • New IPO are required to have “ESG ready” (23:00)

Guest Contact Information

Agnes K Y Tai

https://www.linkedin.com/in/agnestai/

In this episode, Lyndsey talks with Agnes Tai, Senior Partner of Yaozhi Asset Management International and an ESG thought leader. And Agnes has been a sustainable investor for many years.

Conversation of this episode is focusing on how government, local organizations and investors drive ESG movement in major Asian finance hubs.

Conversation Highlights

• How Agnes started Sustainable Investment and latest career with Yaozhi Asset Management (1:30)

• Different terms – responsible investing, sustainable investing, impact investing, ESG (3:30)

• PRI signatories rapid increasing in Asian countries
• Growing Number of PRI signatories in different Asian countries (3:30)
• Sustainable investing growing trend (9:45)

• How Asian countries governments drive ESG PRI signatories?
  • Major Asian countries’ ESG engagement status (12:10)
  • Transparency and disclosure are the key for effective ESG enforcement (14:20)
  • Asian countries are racing for leading roles in ESG and sustainable reporting (16:00)

• How Asian asset management firms influence ESG performance? (17:35)
  • Long-term value creating for portfolio companies (18:10)
  • Japan Case study (JPIF) started sustainable pension fund in 2016

• How Asian investors weight financial return vs. ESG performance? (25:30)
  • MSCI China ESG Index show good ESG performance leads to high financial return (26:10)
  • HK Fund manager code of conduct regulation in the next 12 months (28:00)
  • MSCI new reports focus on E and S factors (29:00)

Guest Contact Information

Agnes K Y Tai

https://www.linkedin.com/in/agnestai/

In this episode, Lyndsey talks with Nawar Alsaadi, Acting-Chief Strategy & ESG Officer at Mark Labs. Nawar is a sustainable investment professional and experienced activist investor. He has been involved with a number of high-profile activist battles with TSX and NYSE listed companies on issues pertaining to corporate governance and corporate strategy.

The topic of this episode is about Nawar’s Material Engagement Strategy.

Conversation Highlights

• The motivation of Material Engagement strategy (2:20)
• The Missing Link (6:50)
• How to make engagement work? (12:00)
• How entities play their roles in Material Engagement strategy (16:00)
• The best way to make influence (21:00)
• How 3^rd party service agency helps for shareholder engagement? (25:00)
• How to align shareholders goals? (30:00)
• Collaboration with Mark Labs (35:00)

Guest Contact Information

Email: Nawaralsaadi@gmail.com

Publications

The Bull of Heaven -

Clock Zero: I am not my social feed

Website: https://engagementproject249624452.wordpress.com/

In this episode of the Sustainability Maters Podcast, Jeff Hales, Chair of the SASB Standards Board, and John DeRose, EY US Nonfinancial Reporting Leader, join podcast host Chris Hagler to discuss how companies can meet market reporting and disclosure demands through the use of SASB Standards.