MSCI ESG Research provides in-depth research, ratings and analysis of the environmental, social and governance-related (ESG) business practices of thousands of companies worldwide. Through early warnings and timely updates, MSCI’s critical insights can help investors uncover risks and opportunities that traditional investment research may not detect.

Key Features and Coverage on RIMES

For this data source, RIMES hosts four indices: Carbon Metrics, ESG Government Ratings, ESG Impact Monitor and ESG Ratings.

ESG Ratings

From climate change risk to changing governance standards, from global workforce management to the evolving regulatory landscape, ESG factors can impact the long-term risk and return profile of investment portfolios. MSCI ESG Ratings help investors to understand ESG-driven risk and opportunities and integrate these factors into the portfolio construction and management process. The MSCI global team of over 150 experienced research analysts assesses thousands of data points across 34 ESG issues, focusing on the intersection between a company’s core business and the industry issues that can create significant financial risks and opportunities for the company. Companies are rated on a AAA-CCC scale relative to the standards and performance of their industry peers. To maintain their leading edge in research methodology, MSCI ESG Research regularly seeks feedback and opinions from external experts on specific ESG issue areas through the MSCI ESG Research Thought Leader Council. Read more about the Council and recent panels. In addition to over 6,000 global equity issuers, MSCI ESG Ratings are also mapped to over 350,000 fixed income issuers. For more information on MSCI ESG Ratings data on RIMES, please contact us.

Carbon Solutions

More and more institutional investors are measuring their carbon footprint in response to the ambitious Paris climate agreement. According to PRI, nearly 120 investors with a total of US$10 trillion in assets under management have joined the Montreal Carbon Pledge, committing to undertaking and disclosing a portfolio carbon footprint – Read More. MSCI ESG Research analyzes the carbon emissions, intensity and reserves of 8,500 companies, along with the strength of their carbon risk management and clean tech exposure, to give you a robust data set across various aspects of carbon reporting and information. For more information on MSCI ESG Carbon Solutions data on RIMES, please contact us.

Additional MSCI ESG Research Product Offerings

MSCI Corporate Government Ratings: MSCI’s unique corporate governance research process examines company events and corporate behavior as well as governance structure, providing data and analysis through MSCI ESG Governance Metrics, specifically:

• 96 governance metrics organized into four pillars (Board, Pay, Ownership and Control, Accounting)
• Coverage of 6,000+ global companies
• Comprehensive data on 65,000 corporate directors and officers
• 13+ years of shareholder proposals and meeting results data

MSCI ESG Impact Monitor: MSCI ESG Impact Monitor is designed to identify company involvement in major ESG controversies for investors looking to understand how well companies adhere to international norms and principles.

• Controversies are categorized into five pillars, including Environment, Customers, Human Rights & Community, Labor Rights & Supply Chain, and Governance, and 28 underlying indicators
• Coverage of more than 8,800 companies and 350,00 fixed income securities

MSCI ESG Business Involvement Screening Research: Many asset owners and managers are subject to guidelines that restrict investments or place thresholds on companies involved in certain lines of business, including global norms such as the UN Global Compact and federal and state sanctions on companies with operations in countries such as Sudan and Iran. MSCI’s screening research enables institutional investors to satisfy client investment guidelines, implement client mandates, and manage potential ESG portfolio risks.

• Over 17 values screens including Alcohol, Animal Welfare, Gambling, Genetic Engineering, Tobacco and more
• Over 8 global sanctions screens including Burma, Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria and more
• Coverage of the full publicly traded equity universe ensure no securities are missed

Learn more

Visit msci.com to download MSCI ESG Research’s latest issue briefs and white papers, including the top five 2016 ESG Trends to Watch.

For more information on MSCI data on RIMES, please contact us.