INSIGHTS

EOS publishes white paper Fixing Fast Fashion This paper sets out how companies can move towards circular economy approaches. 15/04/2021

Stewardship during a crisis: Lessons from the pandemic Dr Hans-Christoph Hirt, Head of EOS, reflects on the pandemic and the stewardship lessons for companies and investors. 16/03/2021 - Dr. Hans-Christoph Hirt

EOS publishes biodiversity paper Our Commitment to Nature We set out why biodiversity is now a stewardship priority and what we expect of companies. 08/02/2021

Biodiversity in focus in EOS’s Q3 Public Engagement Report Why companies need to stop taking nature for granted 28/10/2020

Building back better: why climate action is key to a resilient recovery Why stimulus measures should be combined with efforts to tackle climate change 22/05/2020 - Ingrid Holmes

Solving the plastic pollution problem Aaron Hay, Lead Engager – Fixed Income and Lisa Lange, Engagement Professional for EOS, at the International Business of Federated Hermes, look at the key risks and opportunities for investors in global plastics in their latest paper, ‘Investor Expectations for Global Plastics Challenges’. 22/04/2020 - Aaron Hay

ESG matters – now more than ever Why ESG integration and stewardship matter even more in times of crisis 08/04/2020 - Eoin Murray

How can companies mitigate the worst impacts of the coronavirus? Board members should take a proactive role in crisis management. 25/03/2020 - Dr Christine Chow

AI applications in financial services We examine the pros and cons of artificial-intelligence applications in three areas of financial services: asset management, banking, and insurance. 13/12/2019 - Dr Christine Chow

Stewardship: the 2020 vision We call for a seismic change in the way the investment management industry operates 25/10/2019 - Saker Nusseibeh, CBE

Coming of age: 15 years of stewardship services with Hermes EOS In the 15 years since Hermes EOS was launched, stewardship has travelled from the fringes to the mainstream. 15/10/2019 - Dr. Hans-Christoph Hirt

Hermes SDG Engagement Equity Fund - H1 2019 report What real-world impacts did we achieve through our engagements in the first half of 2019? 17/09/2019 - Hamish Galpin

We can all get along (part II) How bondholders can engage companies for the benefit of all stakeholders 03/06/2019 - Dr. Hans-Christoph Hirt

Go to the source: ESG integration in SMID equities To accurately capture the ESG risks of small- and mid-cap stocks, investors should analyse the companies themselves. 23/05/2019 - Will Pomroy

For us to invest, JBS's governance must match its financial strength Why JBS needs a stronger and more independent board to move on from its tainted past 14/05/2019 - Ilana Elbim

Public Engagement Report, Q4 2018 Greening our world: how investors are tackling climate change 12/03/2019 - Aaron Hay

Public Engagement Report, Q3 2018 18/01/2019

Leave no company behind: Europe's sustainability revolution EU action on sustainable finance is welcome, but a tick-box exercise must not take the place of truly deep engagement by capital markets 31/10/2018 - Ingrid Holmes

Hermes EOS highlights governance concerns at alibaba 26/10/2018 - Dr Christine Chow

Public Engagement Report, Q2 2018 18/10/2018

Engaging with the SDGs: five key takeaways from Global Goals Week Many delegates used Global Goals Week to call for better corporate reporting in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and greater collaboration between stakeholders. But, as the lack of standardised data on SDG alignment poses a challenge to investors, we explain how our engagement efforts can inform investment decisions. 05/10/2018

We can all get along In this two-part paper, we assert that the shared interests of bond and shareholders in companies provide incentives to jointly engage companies – and generate positive outcomes by doing so. 10/09/2018 - Dr. Hans-Christoph Hirt

When companies and indigenous peoples collide So said Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine, the Chair of the United Nations indigenous body UNPFII, as the UN General Assembly marked the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in September 2017. Indeed, indigenous peoples are facing even greater struggles and rights violations than they did 10 years ago. And the implications of such human rights abuses will be far-reaching not just for companies, but investors too. In the last decade, the time taken to bring oil projects online has doubled, with 73% of delays due to non-technical problems – including resistance from indigenous stakeholders. According to the UN, there has been an increase in the number of indigenous people denouncing the lack of compliance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), particularly with companies not obtaining their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) before enacting projects on their land. Such tumult has prompted investors to engage with companies about FPIC. FPIC is a specific right that pertains to indigenous peoples in UNDRIP. It is supported by the Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework for human rights (as discussed later under Indigenous rights, human rights and international law). In brief, consent should be sought by companies – and authorities – before any project, plan or action takes place (prior), it should be given voluntarily without coercion, intimidation or manipulation (free) and based on accurate, objective, and timely information, provided in a culturally appropriate way (informed) for it to be considered a reasonable outcome of a collective decision-making process. 29/01/2018 - Tim Goodman

Modern Slavery: The true cost of cobalt mining Investment capital permeates the global economy, underpinning businesses and supply chains across regions and industries. We believe that investors should not only be aware of the potential for their capital to generate returns but its impact on society and the environment. One such sustainability concern is cobalt mining. 16/01/2018