2022 in Review: Notable MSCI ESG and Climate Research

A roundup of issues we’ve covered over the past year

There is a lot going on in the world as 2022 comes to an end. A major war in Europe, a scramble for energy, high inflation, a series of climate-induced disasters and an urgent need to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions are all shaping the investment environment and the challenges and opportunities facing companies.

With the year-end approaching, we’ve rounded up our notable ESG and climate research from the past year. Taken together, the insights highlight the challenges of the year that’s ending and, perhaps, set the stage for what companies and investors could confront in 2023. (The titles link to the insights if you want to dive deeper on any of them.)

On behalf of everyone at MSCI ESG Research, best wishes for the holiday season. We look forward to bringing you the latest insights with clarity, data and a commitment to powering better investment decisions in the year ahead.

ESG and Climate Trends to Watch for 2023

With everything that is happening in the world, the editors asked MSCI’s ESG and climate research teams what they will be watching in 2023. Their answers touch on a variety of issues, from human capital and regulation to supply chains and the climate crisis, as well as a host of trends affecting everyday lives.

Download the report →

Other Highlights From 2022

The MSCI Net-Zero Tracker

A periodic report on progress by the world’s listed companies toward curbing climate change risk. The latest edition highlights the nexus between climate change and biodiversity loss, noting that “there can be no resolution of either crisis without a joint confrontation of both.”

Read the latest report →

Implementing Net-Zero: A Guide for Asset Owners

This guide addresses a question many institutional owners of capital ask us, which is how they can put climate ambition into practice. The guide provides a road map, with reference to climate science and key investment industry frameworks, to help asset owners move climate change to the forefront of financial decision-making.

Download the guide →

Net-Zero Alignment Series

This four-part series is designed to support investors in building and implementing net-zero investment strategies. The series explores evaluating approaches to net-zero investing, constructing net-zero-aligned equity portfolios, measuring climate risk, and engaging companies on climate change.

Explore the series →

Spotlight on regulation

2022 brought a marked change for climate-related financial reporting, with regulators in at least 10 major economies taking steps to introduce disclosure rules based on the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures framework. In March, the U.S. joined the list, when the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed rules that would require companies to publish their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change risks annually.

•	Understanding the SEC’s Proposed Climate Disclosure Rules
•	Fireside chat with the SEC
•	As TCFD Comes of Age, Regulators Take a Varied Approach
•	Climate Stress Tests: Upping the Ante for Banks and Insurers
•	The Road to Science-Based Corporate Net-Zero Target Setting

Turning climate commitments into action

Investors and other capital-markets participants are sharpening their focus on climate targets that commit them to reduce emissions this decade. Over the past year, we’ve convened industry leaders to share their perspectives on mapping out clear plans of action.

•	COP27 highlighted the need for action on corporate climate pledges, the critical importance of data and the need for private investment for the low-carbon transition, our climate researchers noted in both this virtual briefing and summary of key takeaways from the conference for companies and investors.
•	Our Capital for Climate Action Conference brought together leaders from finance, business and government to address how to maximize the role of investors and companies in driving decarbonization.
•	MSCI and the Principles Responsible for Investment co-hosted leaders from across the investment industry at New York Climate Week to address some of the practical questions investors are tackling as they put net-zero into practice.

Notable climate research from 2022

•	Supporting the Low-Carbon Transition: An Indexed Approach
•	Footprinting the World’s Largest Asset Managers
•	Say on Climate: Investor Distraction or Climate Action
•	Reported Emission Footprints: The Challenge is Real
•	Location Matters: Using Geospatial Analysis to Assess Biodiversity Risks
•	What the War in Ukraine Could Mean for Net-Zero Investing

Notable ESG research from 2022

•	ESG Reporting in Long-Short Portfolios
•	Ownership and Control 2022: Global Equities Concentration on the Rise
•	2022 Private-Asset Trends to Watch
•	Nasdaq’s New Board Diversity Rules: What’s the Impact?
•	Women on Boards: Progress Report 2021

Notable podcast episodes

•	Everyone Hates ESG
•	Not Sure Where Climate Risk Ends and Biodiversity Begins? Exactly.
•	The Inflation Reduction Act: What the massive climate bill means for the energy sector
•	Carbon Footprinting’s Giant Step Forward
•	The Long and Shorting of ESG

Our commitments

•	MSCI is committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain by 2040. Our science-based near-term, long-term and net-zero emissions reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
•	We have set the following milestones for 2025: To reach 100% renewable electricity, to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 60%, and to increase to 60% our suppliers by spend that have science-based targets, from 36% currently.
•	MSCI is a founding member of the Net Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance, which unites leading firms that have committed to align their products and services with the goal of global net-zero emissions by 2050.

You can find all our ESG and climate research here.

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