News in the spotlight: GIST Impact launches Nature Value at Risk dataset
GIST Impact launched its innovative Nature Value at Risk (NVaR) dataset on February 25, 2026, empowering investors to translate nature degradation into quantifiable financial risks at portfolio and company levels. This tool operationalizes methodologies from the European Central Bank (ECB) and London School of Economics, assessing potential production and revenue losses if critical ecosystem services—like clean water, pollination, or flood protection—fail at operations or supply chains.
Products and Services
St. James’s Place renames GBP 13bn global equity fund
St. James’s Place has renamed its GBP 13bn global equity fund to reflect a lower‑carbon focus and has appointed Acadian Asset Management to implement the strategy. The repositioning aims to reduce the fund’s carbon footprint relative to its benchmark while maintaining broad global equity exposure and existing investment objectives. Acadian will apply its quantitative investment framework and ESG inputs to tilt portfolio carbon intensity down, manage tracking error within agreed limits and seek to preserve diversification. SJP says the approach emphasises engagement, voting and stewardship alongside portfolio construction rather than blanket sector exclusions, and that oversight, reporting and periodic review will continue to provide transparency on carbon metrics and engagement outcomes. The change is presented as part of SJP’s wider sustainable investment response to client demand for lower‑carbon solutions while retaining attention to risk budgets and long‑term financial outcomes as the new management arrangement takes effect.
EIB Global commits over EUR 3 billion to Africa in 2025
In 2025, EIB Global, the development arm of the European Investment Bank Group, invested EUR 3.1 billion across Africa—about one-third of its EUR9 billion global deployments—prioritizing sustainable development amid climate urgency. Nearly half (46%) targeted climate action and environmental sustainability, underscoring the EU’s push for green transitions via the Global Gateway strategy, which hit its EUR 100 billion mobilization goal two years early. Key recipients included Morocco, Nigeria, Mauritania, Egypt, and Malawi, plus smaller nations like The Gambia, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Cabo Verde. Flagship projects spanned clean energy, such as Africa’s largest solar and battery plant (Obelisk) in Egypt and rural electrification for 1.6 million in Cameroon; health initiatives like mRNA vaccine production in Rwanda, Senegal, and Ghana, plus Angola’s HPV campaign for 2 million girls; and blue economy efforts in Mauritania and Cabo Verde.
Regulations, Law and Frameworks
SEBI launches ESG Rating Providers review
India’s Securities and Exchange Board (SEBI) has formed a working group to scrutinize the regulatory framework for ESG Rating Providers (ERPs), responding to stakeholder feedback on the current system. Announced on February 18, 2026, this initiative aims to bolster the credibility of ESG ratings amid rising demand for sustainable investments in India’s capital markets. The diverse working group includes representatives from issuers, investors, domestic and global ERPs, ESG analysts, legal experts, and academia. Its mandate covers a thorough review of existing regulations, analysis of market suggestions, and proposals to improve transparency, reliability, and investor trust in ESG assessments. Key tasks involve evaluating global regulatory trends—such as those from IOSCO and EU bodies—to align India’s framework with best practices while addressing local nuances like diverse issuer profiles and data challenges. The group will recommend policy changes to mitigate conflicts of interest, enhance disclosure standards, and ensure rating consistency.
Vanguard agrees to USD 29.5m settlement in ESG lawsuit
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a multistate settlement with Vanguard described as an “industry-changing agreement” to resolve lawsuits alleging the asset manager pursued ESG-driven practices that disadvantaged coal and other energy interests. The agreement, which Vanguard will pay USD 29.5 million to implement and settle claims, requires the firm to adopt enhanced stewardship commitments, increase transparency and reporting to state regulators, and establish safeguards intended to prioritize investors’ financial interests over politically driven ESG agendas. Paxton framed the settlement as protecting coal producers, state pension funds and taxpayers from alleged discriminatory investment practices, and said the reforms could set a precedent for how large asset managers engage with portfolio companies and exercise proxy voting. The release presents the deal as a resolution of multistate litigation rather than a judicial finding of liability, and positions the compliance and reporting terms as central enforcement mechanisms.
UK Government comments on Sustainability Reporting Standards
The UK government has released its response to the consultation on UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS), endorsing finalized versions of UK SRS S1 (general sustainability disclosures) and UK SRS S2 (climate disclosures) for voluntary use by companies. Published on February 24, 2026, this follows extensive stakeholder feedback and aligns closely with IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards, incorporating minor UK-specific amendments. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) proposes mandatory implementation for listed companies from January 1, 2027: UK SRS S2 (minus Scope 3) becomes required, while Scope 3 and broader sustainability risks follow a “comply or explain” basis with phased reliefs. This fits into the Modernising Corporate Reporting (MCR) programme, announced in October 2025, which may extend UK SRS to private companies via upcoming consultations. The government prefers ISSB-led updates, like on carbon credits, to maintain interoperability. Stakeholders are urged to engage in the FCA’s ongoing consultation, closing March 20, 2026.
ESG Data and Analytics
GIST Impact launches Nature Value at Risk dataset
GIST Impact launched its innovative Nature Value at Risk (NVaR) dataset on February 25, 2026, empowering investors to translate nature degradation into quantifiable financial risks at portfolio and company levels. This tool operationalizes methodologies from the European Central Bank (ECB) and London School of Economics, assessing potential production and revenue losses if critical ecosystem services—like clean water, pollination, or flood protection—fail at operations or supply chains. The geo-sector methodology factors in company activities, locations, local ecosystem health, and adaptation resilience, covering direct operations and upstream risks. It initially targets physical risks across 25 ecosystem services, aiding portfolio screening, company analysis, stewardship, and TNFD-aligned reporting. CEO Pavan Sukhdev emphasized NVaR’s role in bridging nature’s economic value to boardroom metrics, pushing for a unified global standard. Upcoming Q2 2026 expansions will add transition risks from regulations and markets. GIST seeks collaboration with researchers and institutions for methodological convergence, advancing nature risk analytics amid rising biodiversity mandates.
Net Zero Commitments
Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative relaunches with stronger 2050 alignment
The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative has relaunched with strengthened commitments and broad global investor backing. The revised pledge requires signatory asset managers to align investment portfolios with achieving net‑zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, set science‑based interim targets (including 2030 milestones), expand coverage across asset classes, and disclose financed emissions and progress transparently. The update raises expectations for active stewardship, voting, and engagement with companies and policy makers; it clarifies methodologies and reporting cadences and emphasizes accountability through third‑party verification and public reporting. By harmonizing target-setting approaches and promoting coordination among investors and other net‑zero frameworks, the relaunch aims to accelerate decarbonisation across portfolios and markets while protecting long‑term value for clients. The initiative underscores ongoing investor demand for clearer, measurable pathways to achieving net‑zero outcomes.