too little or too late - esg in africa
DESCRIPTION
Presentation to panel on impact investing and SRI for Opal Financial South Africa Investment Forum Cape Town 3-4 December 2013.TRANSCRIPT
INTENTION NOT IMPACT?Reality Checks for ESG in Investment in Africa in 2013
Graham Sinclair @esgarchitect
[email protected]/in/grahamsinclairSkype: graham_sinclair+27.81.87.87.332 RSA+1.484.802.9908 USA+1.802.332.6887 SkypeIn
Sustainable Investment Consulting
www.sincosinco.com
@SinCoESG
Sustainable Investment Consulting
• SinCo - sustainable investment consulting - is a specialist sustainable investment advisory boutique formed in February 2007. We have no other focus, we have no conflicts of interest. We build investment conviction and competence for our clients using ESG factors in investment ecosystems.
• SinCo has a track record of building robust answers to tough questions in sustainable investment. Our clients have included institutional investors, UN agencies and international NGOs, think tanks and foundations and stock exchanges.
SinCo designs ESG architecture for long term sustainable investment
that matters.
Discussing the impact and future of the PRI with Kofi Annan in The Netherlands, May 2008.
Debating the progress of ESG in Africa and the role of private equity at the JSE in South Africa, August 2012.
With fellow CSR Africa keynote and sustainability legend, Gro Harlem Brundtland in Nigeria, May 2012.
AfricaSIF.org is a new, strategic step in facilitating investment in Africa that purposefully integrates environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.
Africa Sustainable Investment Forum is an independent, Pan-African, not-for-profit network, knowledgebase and advocate promoting investment in sustainable development across the continent. Launched in June 2010, the AfricaSIF.org Project is run by volunteers building a network of institutions and individuals promoting sustainable investment in Africa by investors in public, private and philanthropy sectors across asset classes, countries and stakeholders from our platform at www.africasif.org.
AfricaSIF.org defines "sustainable investment" as "an approach to investment in any asset class in Africa where environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are proactively integrated at any stage of the investment life cycle."
You are invited to join our all-volunteer AfricaSIF.org project leadership team, or sign up as an individual member, or join your organization as an institutional member from 2014. Join us at africasif.org/support.
3 Prepared by SinCo [sincosinco.com] for Opal Financial South Africa Investment Forum 2013 at The Clock Tower at The Pavilion Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa, December 3-4, 2013. Author: Graham Sinclair. Copyright SinCo 2013.
Biodiversity.
Micro-finance, micro-insurance.
Gender Diversity.
Emissions of greenhouse gases.
HIV/AIDS.
Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment
Product Health, Safety and Nutrition Issues.
Human and Indigenous Peoples Rights.
Jobs creation [“decent paying” jobs].
Water scarcity or sanitation.
Environmental Management
Employee Relations, Safety and Worker Rights.
Infrastructure Development.
Corporate Governance.
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Performance impact of ESG Factors 3-10 Years [n= 97 investors (51 PE investors) + 46 stakeholders;
Private Equity - Very ImportantInvestors (excluding PE) - Very ImportantStakeholders - Very Important
Source: SinCo analysis 2011; SinCo+RisCura data; 2011 © International Finance Corporation (IFC)
What ESG issues impacting the 10 year investment case?
Prepared by SinCo [sincosinco.com] for Opal Financial South Africa Investment Forum 2013 at The Clock Tower at The Pavilion Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa, December 3-4, 2013. Author: Graham Sinclair. Copyright SinCo 2013.
Defining ESGA cape fur seal pup swims around apparently unconcerned with the plastic ring around it¹s neck. However the seal is still growing and the plastic is not, leading to the inevitable and painful death of this animal. Plastic pollution in our seas is a growing problem and this is not an isolated incident. Photographed by Jean Tresfon at Duiker Island, Hout Bay 2013, on a Nikon D300 in a Subal Underwater Housing with 2 Sea & Sea Strobes. 1/250 F9 ISO400. underwaterimages.co.za.
Investing in lives
Metals collector on the streets of Accra, Ghana, May 2011. PHOTOCREDIT: Graham Sinclair/SinCo 2013.
What ESG issues? Mining sectorJSE SRIX headline 29 November 2013. Platinum Rock drill operator at Lonmin mine coaching investors. PHOTOCREDIT: SinCo archive, September 2013.
Prepared by SinCo [sincosinco.com] for Opal Financial South Africa Investment Forum 2013 at The Clock Tower at The Pavilion Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa, December 3-4, 2013. Author: Graham Sinclair. Copyright SinCo 2013.
Marikana Realities
Key guard at Muizenberg beach, Cape Town, South Africa in September 2013. PHOTOCREDIT: Graham SInclair/SinCo archive 2013
A Noble Profession in Africa?
Indemnity
This ESG research by SinCo includes funds, firms and initiatives that may be clients of SinCo, or the parent of, or affiliated with, a client of SinCo. SinCo ESG research reports, articles and profiles have not been submitted to, nor received approval from, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. While we have exercised due care in compiling the information, we make no warranty, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the information and assume no liability with respect to the consequences of relying on the information for investment or other purposes. In particular, SinCo ESG research is not intended to constitute an offer, solicitation or advice to buy or sell securities.
Without limiting any of the foregoing and to the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event shall SinCo have any liability regarding any of the Information for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential (including lost profits) or any other damages even if notified of the possibility of such damages. The foregoing shall not exclude or limit any liability that may not by applicable law be excluded or limited.
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sustainable investment consulting
Appendix
Mega-trends driving growth in ESG1. More beneficial owners - you and me as members of funds - and the trustees stewarding retirement funds, are
asking more questions. Institutional investment is a competitive global industry. professionals manage portfolios across asset classes, project and company types; financing/investing in stages of companies/projects business cycles.
2. Increasing materiality of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors is driving investors, and their end-clients, to integrate sustainability concepts. US$13.6 trillion globally, US$229 billion in Africa according to AfricaSIF.org estimates, are self-reported investments proactively using ESG in investment policy or process. FT this week reports both Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have launched "impact investment" portfolios. Positive/best-in-class screening stands at just over $1.0 trillion, while impact investing ($89 billion) and sustainability-themed investments ($83 billion) are comparatively small.
3. Increasing quality of coverage of ESG flowing from professional ratings agencies offers (and responds to calls for) sharper focus. With more coverage, is the opportunity to use of new ESG valuation models. Pursuit of "sustainability alpha" continues; ESG benchmarking and performance attribution growing.
4. Improving African investment context is attracting capital. The long term investment in Africa hypothesis may benefit from making the sustainable investment case for the positive outcomes, or reduction in negative impacts, from integrating more, not less material factors including ESG. New research studies are mostly ex-Africa, but are making the case for sustainable investment has a more developed investment thesis, for example, research studies reflect that 1) companies with high ESG scores are found to have less company specific risk OR 2) corporations with better ESG ratings are found to have lower cost of debt and higher credit ratings.
5. Where is the there, there? Africa has some historical support in PE because of first assets coming from DFIs, so that 50% investment dollars in private equity in Sub-Saharan Africa is DFI-linked US$12 / US$25bn in 2011. Is it all “greenwashing” or “blue-washing”? The 2009 bump in PRI signatories following the GEPF mandate in RSA produced more hype than reality; some Africa funds are better than others.
Prepared by SinCo [sincosinco.com] for Opal Financial South Africa Investment Forum 2013 at The Clock Tower at The Pavilion Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa, December 3-4, 2013. Author: Graham Sinclair. Copyright SinCo 2013.
Availability of ESG growing, in Africa also
Source: Thomson Reuters Asset4, November 2013
Prepared by SinCo [sincosinco.com] for Opal Financial South Africa Investment Forum 2013 at The Clock Tower at The Pavilion Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa, December 3-4, 2013. Author: Graham Sinclair. Copyright SinCo 2013.
ESG codes are globalCodes of ESG are global
Prepared by SinCo [sincosinco.com] for Opal Financial South Africa Investment Forum 2013 at The Clock Tower at The Pavilion Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa, December 3-4, 2013. Author: Graham Sinclair. Copyright SinCo 2013.
Reality Checks for ESG in Investment in Africa in 20131. Tomorrow is another country. All future sustainability thinking and investment integrating ESG will evolve in the
context of more assets based in Asia, increased investment and consumption demand from frontier and emerging economies, savers stretched to defer consumption for investment, and multimedia channels for communication in all directions.
2. Too Little or Too Late? What is said versus what is actually done about making ESG in investment happen in Africa, and how slowly the market is growing.
1. Too Little? the small "ESG branded" size of the market with around 1% of assets in Africa branded for ESG issues (eg ABC Low Carbon Fund or XYZ Impact Fund) AND small demand for ESG research and thin reporting by investment managers on ESG performance attribution, relative to positioning by institutional investors' claims of ESG. Relative to the addressable market of professionally managed money - BCG reports global AuM grew to record $62.4 trillion in 2012.
2. Too Late? Realities of African economies and investment practice that have failed to proactively advocate for ESG, and now we sit with economies that look much like traditional economies (investors care first about profit, not Africa's legacy)
1. The social license to operate of many industries is weak and societies have huge inequities (investment impact of Marikana). One billion consumers face harder route to the middle class.
2. Natural environment in Africa has already paid a huge price for exploitation. The planet as a whole is going to blow thru the limits suggested to prevent long term serious changes in climate. Africa with agriculture and tourism based industries, much to suffer from freak climate patterns.
3. Carbon budget will all used up in 21 years, PWC reports using carbon figures outlined UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) September 2013 report, threatening to cause global warming of more than double the threshold deemed safe by the United Nations.
Prepared by SinCo [sincosinco.com] for Opal Financial South Africa Investment Forum 2013 at The Clock Tower at The Pavilion Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa, December 3-4, 2013. Author: Graham Sinclair. Copyright SinCo 2013.
The role for sustainable investors in Africa: DFI PE LPPROPARCO 2012 report on Private Equity investments in real economy. "Committed to promoting the highest environmental and social standards". EUR2.6bn, up 24% vs 2010.
1. People connected to telcoms
2. Jobs created
3. Pollution behaviour and reductions in greenhouse gases
4. Increased taxes paid
5. Access to finance
6. Projects improving environment and society
7. Shipping tonsSOURCE: Proparco, 2013
Prepared by SinCo [sincosinco.com] for Opal Financial South Africa Investment Forum 2013 at The Clock Tower at The Pavilion Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa, December 3-4, 2013. Author: Graham Sinclair. Copyright SinCo 2013.