Tool to assess SDG impact across fixed income launches

Sustainability data company Util has designed a way to assess the impact of fixed income securities on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In collaboration with the Intercontinental Exchange, Util has mapped its SDG impact metrics onto more than 1.2 million fixed income securities across listed public companies.

It does this using peer-reviewed academic research and aims to “provide investors and stakeholders with an evidence-based data set that shows a company’s unseen risks and unrealised product value,” according to Util CTO Mike Goynes.

In addition, the data firm has also today launched a universal impact product, which provides impact data across a broader set of asset classes.

“Demand for impact investing continues to grow, with 95% of investors surveyed by the Global Impact Investing Network stating that they plan to maintain or increase their allocations to impact,” saidPatrick Wood Uribe, CEO at Util. 

“While demand is rising, increased regulation and scrutiny of ESG and green investments is causing investors to seek more transparent, objective, and evidence-based data to support their strategies.

“Interest is also expanding outside asset managers, with private equity and investment banks seeking reliable insights to assess the value and risk of their portfolio companies.”

The new impact tool enables Util’s clients to measure impact across 2,000 sustainability concepts and map to many known sustainability frameworks, including the SDGs, SFDR/ EU Taxonomy, GRI, and TNFD, as well as client-defined frameworks to meet their specific ESG goals and investing criteria.

“We found that while the UN SDGs were a helpful starting point, many of our clients were looking to reveal impacts across other frameworks and methodologies, for more than just publicly traded companies,” added Wood Uribe.