Alpha-Centric ESG Research

Kyle Rudden

I am an ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) analyst with an alpha-centric approach to ESG research. After all, ESG investing is, first and foremost, investing. "Alpha-centric" does not mean apathetic, however. Quite the contrary. I believe global sustainability – i.e., environmental stewardship, social equality, and economic prosperity – is imperative, and private-sector capital is its cornerstone. Private-sector capital still has fiduciary responsibilities. Profitability is necessary for sustained impact. The Triple Bottom Line. People, Planet, AND Profit.

More importantly, you. I value your investment in Smartkarma research, and commit to Insights worthy of your time and money. That means giving ASEAN ESG the attention it deserves, and with Insights that are substantive and differentiated; the intersection of material and under-covered. You can expect investigative research into emergent ESG issues; data-driven analyses of deals (pre-IPO ESG research, ESG-focused M&A consequence analyses, etc.); and trading-oriented ideas like ESG short selling and playing ESG index constituency changes.

I bring both ESG expertise and traditional investing experience, as well as some rather unique perspectives on ESG (a lesson in governance from Enron, anyone?). I spent the last decade exclusively on ESG, researching links to equity returns, credit ratings, cost of capital, and yield spreads. I also contributed to ESG reporting standards (SASB and GRI), and the MBA curriculum (Impact Investing) at the Kellogg School of Management. Previously, I was an Institutional Investor and Wall Street Journal All-Star sell-side analyst at J.P. Morgan.

Please, feel free to contact me about anything.

Climate Pledges: Promise and Potential for Planet and Profit... But the Devil Is in the Details

Climate Pledges: Singapore and Japan Lead APAC Issuers in Quality of Climate Pledges

In a recent Insight, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/climate-pledges-promise-and-potential-for-planet-and-profit-but-the-devil-is-in-the-details" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:50690" rel="noopener">Climate Pledges: Promise and Potential for Planet and Profit... But the Devil Is in the Details</a>, I addressed the recent spate of net-zero climate pledges from the proverbial 50,000 foot level. Why a healthy dose of skepticism is justified, what to look for in scrutinizing corporate climate pledges, and why you should. It was heavy on theory, background, definitions, etc.More recently, I published an Insight that zoomed in on the subject. Still at altitude, but not 50,000 feet. In that Insight, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/climate-pledges-singapore-and-japan-lead-apac-issuers-in-quality-of-climate-pledges" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:50701" rel="noopener">Climate Pledges: Singapore and Japan Lead APAC Issuers in Quality of Climate Pledges</a>, I assessed and bechmarked climate pledges by Asia Pacific companies. Whilst it is a stand-alone analysis, it also provides perspective for deeper company-specific analyses and reports.In the context corporate climate action, the Asia Pacific region is uniquely interesting especially in terms of relative activity. But APAC is still eclipsed by Europe and North America in absolute totals, and some of the upcoming company-specific analyses will invariably cover some big European and U.S. names. Oil supermajors, big technology. Both climate cretins, and climate leaders.Like the aforementioned Asia Pacific report, this Insight is takes a closer look at climate pledges by European issuers (by domicile and primary listing). It analyses specific issuers, albeit largely from a regional and sectoral perspective. A sort of triaging of large swatches of issuers, in part to identify candidates for deeper-dives. Similar to the APAC report in purpose, but a very different universe.

In a recent Insight, Climate Pledges: Promise and Potential for Planet and Profit... But the Devil Is in the Details, I addressed the recent spate of net-zero climate pledges from the proverbial 50,000 foot level. Why a healthy dose of skepticism is justified, what to look for in scrutinizing corporate climate pledges, and why you should. It was heavy on theory, background, definitions, etc.More recently, I published an Insight that zoomed in on the subject. Still at altitude, but not 50,000 feet. In that Insight, Climate Pledges: Singapore and Japan Lead APAC Issuers in Quality of Climate Pledges, I assessed and bechmarked climate pledges by Asia Pacific companies. Whilst it is a stand-alone analysis, it also provides perspective for deeper company-specific analyses and reports.In the context corporate climate action, the Asia Pacific region is uniquely interesting especially in terms of relative activity. But APAC is still eclipsed by Europe and North America in absolute totals, and some of the upcoming company-specific analyses will invariably cover some big European and U.S. names. Oil supermajors, big technology. Both climate cretins, and climate leaders.Like the aforementioned Asia Pacific report, this Insight is takes a closer look at climate pledges by European issuers (by domicile and primary listing). It analyses specific issuers, albeit largely from a regional and sectoral perspective. A sort of triaging of large swatches of issuers, in part to identify candidates for deeper-dives. Similar to the APAC report in purpose, but a very different universe.

Climate Pledges By Utilities Are Among the Best in Europe

E.ON

Climate Pledges By Utilities Are Among the Best in Europe