Monthly, 5 minute roundup of the latest responsible investment and ESG news.

Secret or anonymously-owned companies pose a number of risks to shareholders - both financial and non-financial. This is primarily due to the difficulty in identifying the actual ("beneficial") owners. Eryn Schornick (Global Witness) joins the PRI's Olivia Mooney to discuss the issue, as well as the tools available to investors (also detailed in their new report, Chancing It).

Shipbreaking is one of the world's most dangerous occupations, with severe impacts on human rights and the environment. Annie Bersagel (KLP) joins the PRI's Valeria Piani to explain why this is important to investors and encourages them to join their current engagement on responsible ship recycling.

Monthly, 5 minute roundup of the latest responsible investment and ESG news.

Steve Waygood (Aviva Investors) and Toby Heaps (Corporate Knights) join the PRI's Danielle Chesebrough to discuss the current state of sustainability reporting, and identify the key next steps exchanges, regulators, investors and international organizations (such as IOSCO and IASB) should take to improve the quality and consistency of ESG disclosures across markets.  

Sudip Hazra (Kepler Cheuvreux) joins the PRI's Valeria Piani to discuss why inequality matters to global businesses and their shareholders. 

Jeremy Coller (Coller Capital) joins the PRI's Valeria Piani to discuss factory farming and FAIRR (Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return), an investor initiative that aims to put the issue on the ESG agenda.

Charlie Bradshaw (Matrix APA) joins the PRI's Felicitas Weber to discuss how to address poor labour conditions in global supply chains, looking at the supplier perspective. The PRI are also re-launching their collaborative engagement on labour practices in agricultural supply chains, with an investor expectations statement open for all signatories to sign.

Scott Zdrazil (New York City Comptroller) joins the PRI's Olivia Mooney to discuss the development of proxy access in the USA. This includes an overview of the Boardroom Accountability Project, the company response so far and advice for investors on how to engage on the issue.

Paul Cox (NEST), Tim Tookey (Nationwide) and Bess Joffe (TIAA) join Schroders' Jessica Ground to discuss the action that investors can take to help improve the culture and conduct within the banking sector. Originally recorded as a webinar (1hr)

Recorded on 6th Jan - Mikhail Zverev and Rebecca Maclean (Standard Life Investments) join the PRI's Valeria Piani to discuss the implications of the Volkswagen (VW) emissions scandal for the automotive industry.

Phil Bloomer, Executive Director of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, joins the PRI's Felicitas Weber to discuss the the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 and it's implications for companies and investors.

Willemijn Verdegaal (MN) and Karsten Löffler (Allianz SE) join the PRI's Paul Chandler to discuss the outcomes from COP21, which concluded in Paris last week.