There are now over 4,300 equity securities included in FTSE Russell’s sustainable investment analysis of Asia Pacific; covering climate, screenings and ESG ratings.
Globally, coverage now stands at 7,200 securities; which the global index and data provider says enables investor stewardship and ESG integration into active and passive strategies around the world.
The latest move saw its coverage of Chinese securities jump to 1,800 from around 1,000.
In addition, an increase in the number of rated small caps brings the ESG research universe of Japanese securities to approximately 1,300.
According to FTSE Russell, which is the trading name of the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), its sustainable investment data models provide a broad range of measures that can be used in multiple approaches; from considering climate risks, providing ESG ratings and supporting investment alignment with the UN’s sustainable development goals.
Rationale
China A Shares are the growth drivers of the worlds second-largest economy, covering stocks from financial services providers to technology innovators, the data provider stated.
Meanwhile, Japan continues to be an important market and FTSE Russell said it has “successfully launched a number of initiatives to meet the increasing demand from Japanese investors to incorporate sustainable investment into their portfolios”.
Jessie Pak, managing director, head of information services Asia Pacific at LSEG, said that market participants “are increasingly looking to incorporate sustainable investment approaches into their investment philosophy and active and passive strategies”.
“Our details, structured and transparent ESG ratings and data model demonstrate a clear standard for market participants and companies to utilise in their ESG stewardship and engagement efforts.”
