MSCI Rolls Out ESG Analysis Tools

October 15, 2013 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – MSCI Inc., a provider of investment research and decision support tools, unveiled a collection of environment, social and governance (ESG) data and related quantitative analysis tools.

The new suite of tools and data, dubbed MSCI ESG DataMetrics, provides users with a means of driving ESG integration—or the factoring of current and future environment, social and governance considerations—into portfolio planning and asset allocation efforts.

Remy Briand, managing director and head of MSCI Index and ESG research, pointed to increasing investor awareness on ESG issues, as well as new pressures presented by a maturing market, as key reasons why advisers and portfolio managers should consider using the new system.

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DataMetrics includes 174 metrics for eight ESG issues for all companies on the MSCI World Index. Those metrics include data on carbon emissions, water stress, labor management, corporate governance and various other business and geographic risk exposures. Researchers included four years of raw data in the new system.

The system can be used to identify trends and select ESG data that is most relevant to users or their clients. DataMetrics also offers more than 350 industry-specific metrics that inform the key issues of MSCI ESG Research’s rating model, MSCI ESG IVA.

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