Executive pay and climate change are among the key issues being researched and valued within the finance industry to inform and drive more responsible investment in Australia.

At the 9th Annual ESG Research Australia Awards held at the RI Australia 2018 conference in Melbourne tonight, Citi and Bank of America Merrill Lynch took out the awards for excellence in ESG research by a broker.  A new award from RIAA was also jointly presented to MSCI and the Centre for Policy Development for new ESG research by a non-broker.

The ESG RA Awards, attended by Australia’s leading superannuation funds, fund managers and broking firms, recognise excellence in environmental, social and governance (ESG) research published by broking firms. The winners of this year’s ESG Research Australia Awards are:

• Best Piece of New ESG Research by an Individual Analyst or Team:  
  Bigger, Badder and more Opaque: The Task ahead for Investors Undertaking 2 Degree Scenario Analysis, by Zoe Whitton and Edward McKinnon, Citi
• Best Piece of Ongoing ESG Research by an Individual Analyst or Team:  
  CEO Incentives and Analyst Expectations for ASX100 Companies, by Sameer Chopra et al, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
• Best ESG Broking Firm:  Citi

The 2018 joint-winners for RIAA’s new ESG Research Award – recognising excellence in investor relevant ESG research by a non-broking firm are:  

• Best Piece of Investor Relevant ESG Research (non-broking firm): Climate Horizons Report: Scenarios and Strategies for Managing Climate Risk by Sam Hurley and Kate Mackenzie, Centre for Policy Development (with input from ClimateWorks Australia)   AND Alignment to climate regulatory scenarios: A case study of Australian companies by Brendan Baker and Morgan Ellis, MSCI ESG Research

“ESG integration has become a critical foundation of good investment practice. As a result, we are witnessing a growing demand for high quality ESG research” said Simon O’Connor, CEO of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA).

“Much of this focused on climate change in acknowledgement of the importance of investors in managing climate risk.”

“This ESG research plays a critical role in informing the analysis and decision-making of some of Australia’s largest institutional investors and the conversations these investors are having with Australian companies,” he added.

"The high quality ESG inclusive broker research we are seeing being produced is a testament to the quality of analysts focussing on ESG” said Rob Fowler, Chair of ESG Research Australia. “There is increasing focus overseas by brokers on the integration of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and we are expecting to see likewise in Australia over the coming years.

“RIAA is pleased to introduce a new award which recognises the growing quality and proliferation of ESG research beyond brokers.  RIAA seeks to encourage the ongoing growth, quality and useability of ESG research as a key source of information for responsible investors” said O’Connor.

Supported by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia, ESG RA is an Australian initiative comprising superannuation funds, fund managers and asset consultants with the single objective of increasing the quantity and quality of ESG broker research in Australia.  

ESG RA membership currently represents over 50 institutions managing well in excess of $1 trillion in assets under management, and includes some of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, fund managers and asset consultants.

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Carly Hammond on 0430 448 422 or carlyh@responsibleinvestment.org responsibleinvestment.org/esgra