“ Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our times and consequently one of the biggest risks in investment portfolios today . It also brings with it tremendous opportunities for companies and investors alike ,” Vernardis says . Regardless of which industry a company sits within , climate change is an evergrowing threat - one that indeed needs to be tackled as a priority .
“ We have been engaging with companies on climate-related matters since 2014 . In that time , we have had over 900 climaterelated engagements across a range of industries and markets . In 2021 our number of climate-related engagements almost doubled , “ Vernardis says highlighting the heightened focus on this topic . State Street Global Advisors conducted 280 climaterelated engagements in 2021 , an 89 % increase compared to last year ( 148 in 2020 ).
“ By actively using our voice and vote we have seen portfolio companies responding to our call by improving their climaterelated disclosures and practices ,” Vernardis continues .
Recognising that in recent years companies have come a long way in disclosing and managing climate related risks Vernardis explains : “ There is still a lot to be done and we will continue to focus on climate risk and reporting as our core , multi-year campaign . While we welcome the net-zero commitments that many of our
100 April 2022