ESG

This paper from MSCI seeks to lay out some fundamental principles and best practices for ESG reporting of short positions at a portfolio level, based on the results from MSCI’s consultation with over 20 market participants globally. It also explores related issues that influenced market participants’ views on this topic, including cost of capital, shareholder ownership, engagement and regulation.

The most important principle for long-short portfolio ESG reporting is transparency. Transparency allows both regulators and clients to more accurately assess the ESG risks and opportunities to which the fund is exposed on both the long and the short sides of the portfolio. The main difference in investor views on reporting short positions was whether the investor was assessing a company’s real-world impact or if they were focused solely on its ESG risk/return metrics.

In general, asset owners, asset managers and hedge funds agree that reporting for ESG transparency is different from reporting for ESG risk exposure, with both being important in meeting different ESG investment reporting objectives. It is therefore recommended that long-short portfolios report ESG and climate metrics separately for both the long and short legs, in addition to any preferred aggregation schemes, as this allows the greatest transparency and flexibility for aggregate portfolio reporting under both a double and financial materiality assessment.

This report was originally published in https://www.msci.com/www/research-paper/esg-reporting-in-long-short/03136460396

With increasing attention on the effects of climate change, decision-makers are urgently demanding climate-related information. This is reaffirmed by the introduction of mandatory climate reporting by the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and the prioritisation of climate-related disclosures in the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)’s highly anticipated IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards proposals, both of which are based on the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD Recommendations). ISSB’s proposals also incorporate industry-based disclosure requirements derived from Sustainability Accounting Standards Board.

This guide seeks to help Singapore-listed companies meet SGX’s requirements for climate reporting. In addition, given the strong signals from key stakeholder groups, even non-listed companies must consider if sufficient climate-related information is available to meet stakeholder expectations, and this guide will be useful for voluntary adoption of the TCFD Recommendations as well.

To provide practical guidance on how to adopt the TCFD Recommendations, the guide features exemplary disclosures sourced from local forerunners and global exponents that illustrate how the various recommended disclosures can be met.

Also covered in the guide are the learning experiences of advanced adopters, with practical considerations gleaned from their experiences and other observations to further smoothen the journey for new adopters.

This guide is developed with the support of SGX, ISCA’s Sustainability and Climate Change Committee (SCCC) and the SCCC Sustainability Excellence Sub-Committee, in support of the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

This guide was first published in https://isca.org.sg/standards-guidance/sustainability-and-climate-change/thought-leadership/isca-climate-disclosure-guide---taking-first-steps-towards-climate-related-disclosures

Singapore's carbon tax will be gradually increased from the current SG$5/tonne of carbon emissions up to SG$50-80 in 2030.

The first payments under the newly proposed tax levels will be due in 2025, based on 2024 emissions. Large facilities will be most impacted, but end-energy consumers will also feel the increase.

There are meaningful ways to reduce exposure – both for OPEX (facilities) and end-energy consumers. Facilities should look into driving energy efficiency and carbon efficiency into operations via building controls, fabric improvements, and efficient building services and installations through CAPEX.

Meanwhile, a reduction in end-energy user exposure can be countered by providing subsidies and monetary incentives.

Read the full article at https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/singapore/insights/singapore-carbon-tax-2022

Singapore has announced that it is lifting a 2019 moratorium on the construction of new data centres, however government concerns about energy efficiency and consumption mean new facilities will need to meet rigorous standards.

In the short term, the number of new data centres will be very limited, with a maximum of three approvals in a new post-mortarium pilot phase, which begins in the second quarter of this year and which will last 12-18 months. The new data centres will also have a cap on their power use: all must be between 10MW and 30MW.

Jack Harkness, director, industrial & logistics, Asia at Savills, says: “The end of the moratorium and permission for new data centres is good news, as is the focus on sustainability, however with only three approvals in this pilot phase, competition will be fierce.”

The Singapore government imposed a moratorium on construction of new data centres in 2019, due to concerns about the amount of electricity they use. At present, the city-state has 70 data centres with aggregate capacity of 1000MW; the sector uses around 7% of Singapore’s electricity.