The United Kingdom and Germany have recently announced new bills aimed at achieving deforestation-free commodity supply chains. The bills also focus on decarbonization of the transportation and energy sectors, and, if enacted, they would help countries meet climate change and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. At the same time, however, Indonesia plans to implement a …
As investors seek to increase the sustainability and resilience of portfolios and financial institutions expand the selection of sustainable funds globally (3,432 as of 2Q 2020), there is growing interest in mitigating Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) risk in equity portfolios. Already, signatories to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) have increased by 28 percent in …
The Brazilian government has sent mixed signals regarding the urgency to tackle deforestation in the country. As pressure from international investors has stepped up against land clearing for agricultural purposes in Brazil, the government has said it will take steps to assuage their fears and reduce forest loss. However, when speaking to domestic audiences, government …
Brazilian soy exports have risen steeply amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of attractive exchange rates, agribusiness expansion, US-China tensions, and efforts to mitigate the risk of supply chain uncertainties. As demand for Brazilian soy soars, agribusinesses and farmland developers are seizing the opportunity to expand in the biodiverse Cerrado biome in western Bahia, …
Yum China Holding Inc. (YUMC) is the largest restaurant chain in China. In June 2020, YUMC reportedly filed for a confidential secondary listing in Hong Kong. This report presents the company’s deforestation risk exposure and associated financial risks. Download the PDF here: Major Deforestation Footprint a Risk for Yum China’s Secondary Listing Report Webinar Recording: …
BlackRock Investment Stewardship released a report on sustainability this week, providing an overview of the asset manager’s voting practices and engagement in 2020 connected to climate change. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, says that it has voted against 53 companies for not making enough progress in disclosing climate risks or integrating these risks into …
A number of companies, including high-profile traders, have recently announced progress in efforts to reduce deforestation in the Cerrado soy supply chain. Chinese COFCO International aims to strengthen its traceability system to go deforestation-free by 2023, while seafood company Mowi has committed to sourcing only deforestation-free soy by next year. Meanwhile, members of the Soft …
Norwegian Grieg Seafood will not allow any funds from its Green Bond to be used to purchase feed supply from Cargill Aqua Nutrition, which is wholly owned by Cargill Inc. Grieg Seafood has excluded Cargill purchases from the eligible project types because of Cargill Inc.’s connections to deforestation in the Cerrado soy market. Grieg Seafood …
Brazilian soy producer SLC Agrícola continues to move forward with clearing land for cultivation despite increased attention on its operations in the Cerrado. Recent statements from the company itself and satellite data from CRR partner Aidenvironment confirm SLC Agrícola’s recent activity. With the company moving forward despite NGO and media scrutiny, the pressure on major …
This Chain is part of a series on how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting agricultural markets and investor flows. Amid widespread outbreaks in crowded meat processing facilities and a major decline in restaurant demand, innovative solutions for those operating along agricultural supply chains are accelerating during the era of COVID-19. International megatrends that were disrupting …
