Arabesque S-Ray, CDP, Impak and FTSE Russell bring further ESG data expertise to the Alliance
Brussels, 10 June 2021 – FoSDA is pleased to announce four new members – Arabesque S-Ray, CDP, Impak and FTSE Russell – to its Data Council, pooling expertise and joining the efforts of existing members Refinitiv, S&P Global, Moody’s ESG Solutions Group and Bloomberg.
Set up to convene global ESG data expertise and turbo-charge FoSDA’s workstreams, FoSDA’s Data Council is a subset of the wider Alliance seeking to act as an industry and regulatory sounding board focused on ESG data needed to make global sustainable finance ambitions a reality. The Council seeks to answer key questions in relation to data needed to action sustainable policy, investments, and business decisions.
As recognised leaders in the ESG data provision space, FoSDA welcomes diverse expertise and insight from its new members. Non-profit CDP – the global environmental disclosure system – brings vital expertise in global disclosure data collection for both the public and private sector, while FTSE Russell brings long-standing knowledge and expertise on data analytics and benchmarking. Impak, the leading impact rating agency, goes beyond ESG to capture and measure positive impacts through the international standard of the IMP, and Arabesque S-Ray brings AI-led big data capabilities for sustainable investments.
Sherry Madera, Chief Industry & Government Affairs Officer at LSEG/Refinitiv and Chair of FoSDA, says “In an era when sustainability and the digital transformation of our economies are the highest priorities of governments and businesses across the globe, data is critically needed by investors and governments to deploy capital sustainably and ultimately achieve progress towards global sustainability goals. We’d would like to extend a warm welcome to these organisations joining FoSDA.”
2021 research for the Data Council on current ESG holes and gaps
Serving to add realistic and valuable insight into the increasing volumes of data being used and requested for the deployment of sustainable capital, the group of data experts will help chart a path forward on ESG data.
The Data Council has begun work on mapping out the gaps and holes in availability of raw ESG data required by financial market participants to comply with regulatory sustainability requirements emerging across multiple jurisdictions. With the set-up of a working group to conduct detailed research into key ESG data gaps and holes, the Data Council will share key findings to indicate the largest ESG data gaps and holes later this year.
A call for new FoSDA members
By convening the right industry players to enable sharing of knowledge and expertise, FoSDA hopes to deliver invaluable market insight to global regulators and the industry. Looking ahead, FoSDA warmly invites other data providers to join its Data Council to help advance the debate and point to solutions related to sustainability data together.
Dr Richard Mattison, CEO of S&P Global Trucost, Chief Product Officer, S&P Global Sustainable1 and Chair of FoSDA’s Data Council, says “We are delighted to welcome new members to FoSDA’s Data Council, boosting our expertise on sustainability data, sharing knowledge and best practices in the ESG data provision field, ultimately to better inform on sustainability risks and decisions on sustainable investments.”
About FoSDA: Launched at the World Economic Forum in January 2020, the Future of Sustainable Data Alliance brings global partners together to identify and accelerate the reliable, actionable ESG data and related technology that is needed to meet the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals. Founding partners include the World Economic Forum, IIF, OMFIF, Tsinghua University, ASIFMA, GFMA, Climate Bonds Initiative, FinTech4Good, Everledger, Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, Bank of Africa-BCME, Finance for Biodiversity, GoImpact and Icebreaker One, with Bloomberg joining as a partner in January 2021.
Contact details: secretariat@futureofsustainabledata.com







