The watchdog of the EU is leading the charge in ironing out uncertainty around how to label funds with an ESG theme after an uproar from the industry. This development arises at a time when concerns related to greenwashing and other misleading labels are growing in the space of sustainable investment. As such, it will be even more about clarity and transparency in labeling the ESG fund that will earn that trust-sustainability becomes a mainstream investor priority.
It also intends to publish new rules that will guarantee the money under the ESG tag will be in line with the principles of sustainability. The investment community was worried that these funds were being marked as sustainable, though actually, they were not fundamentally ESG funds.
So, if you want to prevent your sustainability investments from being misused, using an ESG reporting tool can help you.
Greenwashing concerns end
In recent years, however, this rapid growth has also been accompanied by increasing controversy regarding transparency and accuracy with respect to the labeling of funds. Thousands of funds sport names indicating the support of sustainability initiatives, but a portion of those need to meet basic standards of environmental, social, or governance qualification. A practice more correctly referred to as greenwashing, this has lost trust among a lot of investors seeking genuinely ESG-driven investment opportunities.
The upcoming regulations of ESMA aim to prevent these funds from misusing the label ESG and deceiving investors. The authority would like to have more transparency and clarity throughout the EU market by giving better guidance on what an ESG fund is. Fund managers will have to generate solid proof regarding their ESG claims, which ensures clarity regarding the end destination for every investor’s money.
What changes are expected?
As such, funds whose names contain words such as “ESG”, “green”, or “sustainable” will fall under tighter standards. It also involves comprehensive reporting on the sustainability performance of the fund and the degree to which it meets the ESG Guiding Principles.
For instance, the funds have to be able to account for some quantifiable environmental or social effects. Investors, on their part, are increasingly asking ESG funds not to avoid negatives but to add up to the big positives, such as reducing carbon footprint or contributing toward social equity.
It also touches base with how ESG funds are marketed, hence ensuring all promotional materials correctly reflect the actual performance of the fund in areas related to sustainability-changes that would decrease misleading marketing and help investors make more informed decisions.
Related Articles: How Much Are European Companies Spending on Green Initiatives? | Promoting Sustainable Investments to Attain the SDGs
Industry’s response
The guidelines issued by the financial industry have received a mixed response. Some fund managers welcomed the clarity brought in, while others said the rules could become too restrictive. There is also a fear that smaller funds would be unable to meet the more stringent requirements, shrinking the market dealing in ESG investments.
These considerations aside, the general intention of the new regulations is to give credibility to ESG funds and to further protect investors. As this market in sustainable investments keeps on growing, reassurance of authenticity will be of essence in terms of longer-term confidence and success.
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This article is referenced from EU watchdog to clarify ESG fund naming rules after backlash by Retures.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — Cover Photo Credit: Reise
