FE fundinfo signs ESG data agreement with MSCI

Global fund data and technology company FE fundinfo has partnered with MSCI to enhance its ESG capabilities.

Through the agreement, FE fundinfo will now include MSCI’s ESG fund ratings and data across its products including FE Analytics, Trustnet and fundinfo.com. Users of these services will be able to access a wider range of ESG data, ranging from the overall ESG-Score of a fund to more detailed metrics such as the social and governance measures and rating distribution, the fund's carbon intensity, green and brown revenue generation and any United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) violations they may have.

Following its acquisition of CSSP earlier in the year and the formation of its ESG Product Group, FE fundinfo has significantly enhanced its ESG solutions and developed its strategy over the last 12 months specialising in supporting Fund Managers, Distributors and Institutional Asset Owners with SFDR-related data services and ESG reporting.

Philipp Portmann, Head of Business Development and Strategy at FE fundinfo, said:

“From fund managers and distributors to financial advisers and the end investor, ESG investing is becoming an increasingly important part of industry thinking. The need for clear, accurate and transparent data and reporting has never been stronger, and, as a market-leading fund data business which sits at the heart of the industry, we have been constantly reviewing and enhancing our services in this area by listening to our clients and partners. In MSCI we will be working with a market leading organisation and one that shares our commitment to bringing greater transparency to the industry, allowing investors to make better informed decisions.”

Jillis Herpers, Head of ESG Coverage, EMEA at MSCI, said:

“An MSCI ESG Fund Rating is designed to provide greater comparable transparency and understanding of a fund’s resilience to long-term, industry material ESG risks.  Our rules-based methodology enables the identification of industry leaders and laggards within a fund and our leading climate data and analytics allows us to provide carbon intensity metrics.”