The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference—takes place October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow, Scotland. During and after COP26, we invite you to use Morningstar resources to frame and contextualize your coverage on this important event. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

– Morningstar’s media relations team

Sustainalytics at COP26

Sustainalytics, a leading provider of ESG data and research and Morningstar company, is excited to share that Kata Molnar, water issue thematic expert at Sustainalytics, will speak at the Blue Zone at COP26 on the following sessions:
Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 10:20 a.m. ET, Finance Day: Shaping the Water Management Global Agenda: The Value of ESG Data for the Private Sector. To view the livestream session on Nov. 2, please click here.

Thursday, Nov. 11 at 10:45 a.m. ET, Cities and Infrastructure Day: Adaptation and resilience in urban water: Lessons from practice. To view the livestream session on Nov. 11, please click here.

Read more about the COP26 goals and related Sustainalytics research content to support your stories at the Sustainalytics COP26 Resource Hub.

Research and Data

Morningstar has a broad swath of ESG data and research. From fund flows to proxy voting, Morningstar’s own ESG risk ratings and research, to key insights around the sustainable investing landscape, we can help support your stories. Find the latest commentary on ESG investing on Morningstar.com here.

New Research

Sustainable Fund Flows as of Q3 2021

Morningstar published its latest Global Sustainable Fund Flows Report. Sustainable funds represent a substantial and growing portion of the fund universe—in part due to the launches of new funds, and in part due to existing funds adding ESG factors to their prospectuses. This report explores activity in the global sustainable funds universe within the past quarter, detailing regional flows, assets, and launches.

This quarter’s report examined the global fund flows of 7,486 sustainable open-end funds and exchange-traded funds as of Q3 2021. Highlights include:

• Following the introduction of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) on March 10, 2021, the number of sustainable funds captured in the global sustainable universe has grown by 51% over the third quarter of 2021.
• Mainly driven by SFDR in Europe, global sustainable fund assets almost doubled in the past six months to reach $3.9 trillion at the end of September 2021.
• Assets of global sustainable funds continue to outpace the market. In the third quarter, global sustainable fund inflows declined by 15%, but the global fund universe overall recorded 20% lower inflows. Global sustainable fund assets increased 8% over the same period, while the overall fund market remained stable. 

Download the report

Please reach out to newsroom@morningstar.com for underlying data to the exhibits.

Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) Data as of Q2 2021: The EU SFDR requires for the first time that asset managers provide information about their investments' ESG risks as well as impact on society and the planet. Funds classified under articles 8 and 9 of SFDR could reach 50% of overall EU fund assets within the next 12 months. Read the full report here.

Review Morningstar’s latest policy research on what the EU Action Plan means for investors here.

Please reach out to ukmedia@morningstar.com for underlying data to the exhibits.

Spokespeople & Commentary

Kunal Kapoor, chief executive officer, Morningstar
Kunal Kapoor can discuss Morningstar’s commitment to providing education and information on sustainability; building an investment environment with sustainability at the center; and the Company’s The New Sustainability initiative to make ESG investing accessible to investors of all types.

Michael Jantzi, founder of Sustainalytics
Michael Jantzi can discuss the role of data and ratings in the sustainability conversation; ESG strategy and integration – adoption across multiple asset classes and investor segments; creating a culture of corporate responsibility among investors.

Bob Mann, president, Sustainalytics
Bob Mann can discuss the institutional and corporate market drivers for the growth of ESG research, ratings and data.

Simon MacMahon, executive vice president of ESG research, Sustainalytics
Simon MacMahon can discuss ESG and corporate disclosure trends, the role of ESG research and ratings in the investment process, and ESG ratings and data regulation.

Dan Kemp, global chief investment officer, Morningstar Investment Management
Dan Kemp can discuss the tangible actions required from COP26 and how the end investor will benefit, how to incorporate ESG concerns in the financial planning process, and the biggest barriers to ESG investing.

Hortense Bioy, director of sustainability research, Morningstar
Hortense Bioy can discuss how investors can spot greenwashing and how to avoid it; the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, asset managers’ investor voting powers and stewardship responsibilities, and COP26 as a platform to discuss the many diverse views on the carbon market.

Scott Burns, head of retail investing services, Morningstar
Scott Burns can discuss educating retail investors on how ESG works and advice on constructing a strong ESG portfolio; differing approaches to ESG and how they differ in practice.

Dan Lefkovitz, strategist, Morningstar Indexes
Dan Lefkovitz can discuss hidden ESG risks within investors’ portfolios; going beyond “Net Zero”: Supporting the Transition to a Climate-Resilient Planet; ESG investing as a way to reduce risk; how to invest in gender diversity.