However, I decide I need further clarity on a few points so I’ve scheduled a call with a fund manager to talk about how ESG information feeds into the investment process in more detail.ġ2.30pm: Time for lunch. Some of this information is publicly available and most is covered in the questionnaire response. These range from examining procedure documents, making a judgement on their ESG expertise, as well as checking voting and engagement records on ESG issues. I go through one of these detailed requests for information I have received back.ġ0.30am: There are many ways to assess the credibility of responsible investment claims that managers make. I also take a look at the latest articles from Responsible Investor which is an invaluable resource for keeping up to date.ĩ.30am: The main source of primary information from underlying fund managers on how ESG considerations are taken into account is a combination of questionnaires and follow-up meetings.
Want to hear what Woodfield’s working life is like in podcast format, then please click here for a conversation recorded last year.Ĩ.30am: I resist the temptation to spend the day in my pyjamas and having showered I check emails as well as seeing how the markets are doing.ĩ.00am: I check news alerts that I have set up on Bloomberg, FT, Morningstar and Citywire for any stories relating to responsible investing, ESG issues and sustainable finance more generally.
If I get a spare moment, I try to keep up with the rapidly evolving trends and developments within sustainable finance. The remainder of my time is spent either supporting distribution efforts through assisting with specific client queries, providing input into products with a sustainable investment objective and helping to communicate Architas’ ESG due diligence process. These include excluding companies that perform poorly on ESG issues, integrating relevant ESG risks and opportunities into valuation models, and engaging with companies in order to improve their ESG performance. This is by no means a straightforward task due to the number of different approaches that can be applied. I spend about 80% of my time speaking to investment houses – whose funds Architas invests in through its multi-manager product ranges – analysing fund managers’ processes and generally trying to better understand how ESG considerations feed into investment decision making. In my view, the role of an ESG analyst in asset management is to look at every part of the investment process through a sustainability lens, ensuring there is a responsible investing framework in place for the consideration of extra financial risks. A typical day doesn’t really exist and I suppose this variety is one of the reasons I choose to get up every morning.
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