This month we were thrilled to win European Responsible Investment Manager of the Year at the Funds Europe Awards 2024*. The judges singled out the firm for “tackling the most challenging issues head on.” A reflection, I hope, of our growing product range which seeks out innovative solutions to some of the biggest challenges investors face today. Climate change, and environmental degradation, is after all, an economic problem. The wealth of investors and the health of the planet depends heavily on the actions that corporations take today.
As I watch the fallout from the US elections, it is clearer still that relying on governments to implement the necessary policies will be a frustrating, if not impossible, task. Trump’s appointment to the White House threatens the Paris Agreement, with the US widely expected to withdraw from the treaty. Meanwhile, COP29, billed as the finance COP, got underway in Azerbaijan with no lack of the controversies to which we have grown accustomed. The COP chief exec was filmed promoting fossil fuel deals (oil and gas accounts for about half of Azerbaijan’s total economy) and a number of key leaders have for several reasons announced their non-attendance. Argentina pulled out its entire team and brought them home just three days into the two-week summit.
All this, set against a background of yet more climate-related disasters. New York and New Jersey were battling wildfires last weekend in one of the worst droughts the region has ever seen. It was the second warmest October recorded in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations’ 130 years. Meanwhile in Europe, the shocking imagery from Valencia and across Southern Europe, should remind us that no one is immune to the environmental devastation caused by global warming.
In better news, business leaders have welcomed the UK’s new climate targets, which aim to slash emissions by 81% by 2035. Prime Minister Kier Starmer announced the news in Baku as part of his national climate plan. While it is great to see the UK getting tougher on the environment, it remains to be seen if the targets are credible. The UK’s existing 2030 commitment is currently way off course, but the Starmer government has plans to massively expand offshore wind, as well as investments in carbon capture and storage, and more controversially, nuclear energy.
Meanwhile, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves gave her maiden speech at Mansion House last week, announcing one of the most radical overhauls of the UK local authority pension system in a generation. There are major reservations as to whether such significant consolidation, in the way of Mega Funds, is actually of benefit to LGPS investors. Further, these Mega Funds could have far reaching consequences for an asset management industry already dominated by mega managers. The initiative threatens to price out smaller managers, stifle innovation and destroy competition. Read our full opinion piece here.
In other Osmosis news, I’d like to welcome Lisa Jackson- Hunt to the team. Lisa will be joining our Human Resources department as we continue to grow the firm. I am also delighted to announce the appointment of Jamie Padkin CFA** to Head of Emerging Markets Research. Jamie has been a pivotal part of the environmental research team since 2021 and was the lead analyst in our 24-month research project into corporate environmental data in Emerging Markets. The coming year will be an exciting time for Jamie’s team, with the launch of our first Emerging Markets products expected imminently.
If you would like to hear more about any of our strategies or research, please do get in touch.
Best regards,
Ben
*NB: The Funds Europe Awards are free to applicants and open to all European asset managers. This award relates to the annual period March 2023 to March 2024 and was awarded on 6 November 2024. Funds Europe independently provided Osmosis with a questionnaire to be used in the preparation of the third-party rating or award.
**The Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) designation is issued by the CFA Institute. More information about the designation is available at https://lnkd.in/eVueJ6D.