Kieger Sustainable Business: Corporate climate commitments and implications for investors

Furthering our knowledge on the basis of sound methodological practice is crucial. This was the emphasis at the 2022 Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance conference, that moreover highlighted the need to be courageous in directing capital to economic activities that help advance sustainable development.

The working paper that stood out for me the most in this event was by Anna Julia Bingler and co-authors, who investigated whether corporate climate communications consist merely of generalized descriptions and boilerplate promises or specific pledges containing tangible and verifiable targets. Their analysis showed that climate related disclosures in themselves are not a reliable indicator for specific commitments and actions. The conclusion is clear: as investors, we must conduct careful research to assess the specificity and accuracy of climate claims.

We at Kieger, believe that research-based sustainable investing strategies can help address the challenges of our time, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, and deliver a just transition for generations to come. We know that setting high standards and sticking to them, is the right approach to build trust with investors.

For example, Kieger has elected to participate in the NZAM Initiative, to bring a structured and science-based approach to our climate commitments. Another example of our emphasis on research-based methods comes from our healthcare experts, who use guidance from the Impact Management Project to quantify company impacts related to the UN SDG on Good Health and Wellbeing. Stay tuned for more sustainability insights from Kieger.