MainStreet Partners announces “2025 ESG and Sustainability Champions”

London, 21st January 2025

MainStreet Partners, a leading ESG and Sustainability data provider for top-tier investors and distributors, is proud to announce the winners of its 2025 ESG and Sustainability Champions awards. These awards acknowledge excellence in sustainable investing and highlight the asset managers and funds that have demonstrated exceptional performance in addressing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Sustainability challenges.

This year, MainStreet Partners has introduced new categories to reflect the growing complexity and specialisation within the ESG and Sustainable investing landscape.

The winners across several broad categories spanning Equities, Fixed Income, Multi-Asset and Thematic investing, together with the best overall Asset Manager and the best Boutique Manager, were carefully selected by MainStreet Partners’ specialist fund research team. The team analyses funds against their unique and long-established three pillar methodology – ESG integration at the asset manager level, across the investment strategy, and via the portfolio holdings. MainStreet’s universe includes more than 9,500 strategies, managed by over 460 Asset Managers, all available on its online platform esgeverything.com.

Neill Blanks, MainStreet Partners’ Head of Funds Research, commented:  “At the start of 2024, you may have been forgiven for thinking we would  see less regulatory complexity than 2023.  Unfortunately, that was far from the case, not least as fund naming rules came into effect on both sides of the Atlantic. 

“Regulatory scrutiny continues to intensify, with the threat of fines being imposed for those that do not adapt as well as the associated reputational damage.  To further help our clients avoid the risk of greenwashing, we introduced another sub-pillar into our rating methodology called ‘EU Regulatory Alignment’. It combines key data points from the European ESG Template (EET) with an assessment of how Asset Managers are defining what is a ‘Sustainable Investment’. 

“In an ever-evolving market, the asset managers who choose to take a proactive approach and utilise technology will be the ones to prosper. These awards recognise some of the most pioneering asset managers and funds in the industry.” 

Now in its fifth year, the 2025 ESG and Sustainability Champions are as follows:

CATEGORY MAINSTREET PARTNERS

ESG AND SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONS 2025
Best Sustainability Asset Manager Robeco Asset Management
Best Sustainability Boutique/Specialist Impax Asset Management
Best ESG Global Equity Fund Responsible Global Equity

Columbia Threadneedle
Best ESG European Equity Fund SRI Norden Europe

DNCA
Best ESG Global Fixed Income Fund Euro Corporate Bond Climate

Amundi
Best ESG European Fixed Income Fund Sélection Crédit

Sycomore
Best ESG Alternatives Fund Climate Impact

Trium Capital
Best Sustainable UK Equity Fund Sustainable Future UK Growth

Liontrust
Best Sustainable Emerging Markets Equity Fund Positive Impact Emerging Equity

Union Bancaire Privée
Best Sustainable Emerging Markets Fixed Income Fund SISF BlueOrchard Emerging Markets Impact Bond

Schroders
Best ESG Multi-Asset Fund Climate Assets Balanced

Quilter Cheviot
Best Sustainable Multi Thematic Fund Global Impact

Wellington 
Best GSS Bond Fund Sovereign Green Bond

Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Best Environmental Thematic Fund Ecology

Jupiter
Best Social Thematic Fund Women Leaders and Diversity Equity

Mirova
Best Transition Fund Climate Change

BNP Paribas

Rachel Whittaker, Robeco’s Head of SI Research commented: “We are very honored to have been recognized as one of the best ESG and Sustainability Asset Managers by MainStreet Partners.

Now more than ever, sustainable investing is crucial as it aligns financial growth with environmental stewardship and social responsibility. By investing in sustainable assets, we not only seek to generate long-term returns but also contribute to a healthier planet and more equitable society for future generations.”

 

GSS Bonds Market Trends, Summer Edition 2024


EU Green Bond Standard – a match or a clash for the Green Bond Market? 

This edition of the report focuses on the EU Green Bond Standard (EU GBS), which will be effective from December 2024.

The EU GBS is a further anti-Greenwashing measure, coinciding with the introduction of the UK FCA’s new Sustainability Disclosure Regime. Considered a voluntary ‘Gold Standard’ for GSS Bond issuers, it aims to enhance transparency, credibility, and the market integrity of Green Bonds across the EU.

Based on MainStreet Partners’ analysis, only 23% of the current stock of Green and Sustainability Bonds could claim alignment with the EU GBS. This represents approximately $700 billion of assets.

One of the key requirements for the new EU Green Bond Standard is that the proceeds of the bond fundraising should be allocated to projects aligned with the EU Taxonomy, which is a pre-existing part of the EU’s sustainable finance framework. Based on MainStreet Partners’ analysis, for the same set of securities, the average Alignment to the European Taxonomy is 53% (62% for Green Bonds and 21% for Sustainability Bonds).

A comparison with the still low level of Taxonomy alignment at corporate level, on average at 10% across Revenue, CAPEX and OPEX, places GSS Bonds in an ever more definite position within sustainable investment funds mandates.

The EU Taxonomy aims to provide a robust, science-based classification system, setting out criteria for economic activities aligned with achieving net zero by 2050, as well as broader environmental goals






    Greenwashing, primo calo in sei anni

    Il report di RepRisk per il primo semestre 2024 mostra segnali positivi, con un calo del 12% del rischio globale di greenwashing, invertendo una crescita durata sei anni. Tuttavia, i casi gravi sono aumentati di oltre il 30%, indicando sfide persistenti; Alienor Legendre, Research Associate di MainStreet Partners, ha analizzato questi risultati.

    La riduzione del 20% dei casi nel settore finanziario tra il 2023 e il 2024 potrebbe essere dovuta all’introduzione di regolamentazioni come la Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) e la Tassonomia UE, che promuovono trasparenza e conformità.

    I dati di RepRisk mostrano anche che il 36% delle società del settore finanziario collegate al greenwashing nel 2023 è stato segnalato anche nel 2024. Questo suggerisce che, sebbene la percezione pubblica stia migliorando la tendenza generale, ulteriori regolamentazioni e dati trasparenti sono essenziali per ridurre i casi persistenti e affrontare l’aumento degli incidenti gravi. Gli investitori rispondono con crescente cautela; per molti, la reputazione ESG di un’azienda è cruciale nelle decisioni d’investimento. Una maggiore trasparenza nelle dichiarazioni ESG non solo risponde alle esigenze degli investitori, ma protegge anche la reputazione delle aziende realmente impegnate nella sostenibilità.

    Esempi di aziende segnalate nel 2023 e nel 2024:

    • H&M: Il rivenditore di moda è stato accusato di greenwashing nel 2023 per la linea “Conscious Choice”, poiché molti prodotti etichettati come sostenibili contenevano materiali sintetici in quantità elevata. Le critiche sono proseguite nel 2024 con ulteriori segnalazioni di dichiarazioni ambientali ritenute fuorvianti e non pienamente supportate da pratiche sostenibili.
    • Delta Air Lines: Nel 2023 Delta ha affrontato accuse relative al programma di voli “carbon neutral”, con critiche sulla reale efficacia dei crediti di carbonio utilizzati per compensare le emissioni. Queste accuse sono proseguite nel 2024, suscitando ulteriori dubbi sulla trasparenza delle strategie ambientali della compagnia.

    D’altra parte, alcuni osservatori suggeriscono che il leggero calo dei casi segnalati possa essere influenzato dalle diverse pressioni di mercato sulle priorità ESG. Sebbene l’interesse per l’ESG rimanga significativo, l’impatto dei cambiamenti nei contesti economici e politici ha spinto gli investitori a bilanciare le priorità finanziarie ed energetiche immediate con gli obiettivi di sostenibilità a lungo termine.

    In conclusione, la riduzione del rischio di greenwashing è un segnale positivo, ma i progressi futuri dipenderanno da regolamentazioni efficaci, pratiche trasparenti e monitoraggio costante, in particolare nel settore finanziario, dove la credibilità ESG è essenziale per costruire la fiducia degli investitori e mitigare i rischi reputazionali. Nonostante il calo dei casi di greenwashing, le sfide economiche e geopolitiche in evoluzione richiedono un approccio misurato e proattivo all’integrazione ESG.

    Questo articolo e’ apparso per la prima volta su Focus Risparmio