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This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web A new meta-study looking at a wide array of research from the past five years underlines the links between ESG and positive outcomes for companies and investors. Researchers from the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business and Rockefeller Asset Management looked at 1,141 peer-reviewed papers and 27 meta-reviews – themselves based on roughly 1,400 studies – published between 2015 and 2020. They split underlying papers into two groups: those focused on corporate financial performance such as return on equity, and those focused on investment performance using measures such as…

Smaller institutions more concerned about market volatility, MSCI survey finds Large asset owners view climate change as the biggest issue for markets over the coming years and half are using climate data on a regular basis to manage risk, according to a new survey from MSCI. Nearly a third (31 percent) of institutions with more than $200 billion in assets cite climate as the top trend impacting investments over the next three to five years, notes the study of 200 executives from pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurers and endowments. That’s followed by disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and…

This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web – The Wall Street Journal reported that CFOs are taking on sustainability measures as a means to attract new investors, lower their company’s borrowing costs and cut operating expenses. More than 1,500 companies globally have pledged to reduce their carbon emissions to net-zero in the coming years, according to research by the NewClimate Institute. Many have also made commitments to support diversity and inclusion. Such ESG promises put pressure on CFOs to square company finances with sustainability metrics. More CFOs have been talking about sustainability in recent months. Twenty…

Almost half cite importance of integrating ESG opportunities into strategy Nasdaq-listed Carrols Restaurant Group has appointed Jared Landaw as vice president and general counsel, effective February 8. Landaw was most recently COO and general counsel of Barington Capital Group, an activist hedge fund firm, where he had worked since June 2004. According to his LinkedIn profile, during his time at Barington he also served as a director, corporate secretary and acting general counsel of companies in the firm’s investment portfolio, helping with acquisitions, SEC filings, shareholder meetings, board matters, compliance and corporate governance. Before joining Barington, Landaw was vice president…

AI systems could be responsible for up to $3.9 trillion in value creation but pose potential ESG risks, write Marc Lepere and Andrew Susman Many asset owners have upped their focus on ESG as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but major differences exist between regions on the importance of sustainability issues, according to a new study. Around a third (32 percent) of investors say ESG is getting ‘more focus’ from their investment professionals amid the global spread of coronavirus, notes research by advisory firm bfinance. Underlining the growing belief in a link between sustainability and returns, most respondents (82…