The Challenge with ESG Data

On November 20, CFA Society Sweden’s ESG Committee arranged the first event of a series of educational sessions to promote the ESG Certificate and provide an opportunity for investment professionals to update their sustainable investing knowledge.

As ESG considerations become increasingly pivotal to investment decisions, the demand for high-quality, actionable data has soared. However, the road to reliable ESG data is fraught with challenges, from inconsistent standards and fragmented data sources to the complexities of measuring qualitative impacts. Together with three experts, this in-depth session was an opportunity to delve into these issues, discuss emerging solutions, and share insights on the future of ESG data in investment.

Karoline Hatlestad, SKAGEN Funds (a part of Storebrand Asset Management) held a presentation on the topic “ESG data in investments decisions – Why we need figures and how we use them”.  The slides are available here.

Yinka Kalliokoski, ISS ESG talked about “ESG provider challenges – The Upcoming regulation and codes of conduct for ESG ratings and data products providers”. The slides are not available but information is available here.

Cecilia Cisana, Morningstar Sustainalytics presented “The future of ESG data in practice – How regulation is changing the work of companies & investors”. The slides are available here.

CFA Society Sweden and the ESG Committee would like to extend their gratitude to the speakers and in particular to SKAGEN and Storebrand for hosting this successful event!

This event qualified for 1.5 PL Credit. If you would like to track this achievement, you can do so in your PL Tracker on the CFA Institute’s website.

If you would like to provide feedback, you can do so here.

Stockholm School of Economics Welcomed into CFA Institute University Affiliation Program

Stockholm, September 4, 2024 — The CFA Society Sweden is pleased to announce that the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program officially welcomes the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE). This recognition highlights the academic rigour and relevance of SSE’s MSc program in Finance, which has been acknowledged for incorporating at least 70% of the CFA Program curriculum. Furthermore, the program emphasises the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, reinforcing its commitment to preparing students for professional excellence in the global finance industry.

“This affiliation is a strong signal to prospective students that we offer a comprehensive and internationally relevant finance program,” said Anders Anderson, Program Director of the MSc program in Finance at SSE. “It aligns our curriculum with the highest standards of professional ethics and conduct in the investment industry, providing our students with a significant competitive advantage.”

Participation in the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program allows SSE to offer a limited number of CFA Program Student Scholarships each year. These scholarships will support students in pursuing the globally recognised CFA designation, further enhancing their career prospects in the competitive field of finance.

About CFA Institute

CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals, setting the standard for professional excellence and credentials in the investment industry. As an advocate for ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge within the global financial community, CFA Institute strives to create an environment where investors’ interests are prioritized, markets function optimally, and economies grow. With more than 200,000 CFA charterholders across 164 markets, CFA Institute is a leader in fostering the highest standards of education, integrity, and professionalism. The organization operates through nine global offices and is supported by over 160 CFA Societies worldwide.

About CFA Society Sweden

CFA Society Sweden is a member society of CFA Institute, dedicated to promoting the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence in the Swedish investment community. Through a range of initiatives, including educational programs, networking events, and industry advocacy, CFA Society Sweden supports the professional development of investment professionals and contributes to the advancement of the investment industry in Sweden.

This press release highlights SSE’s achievement, aligns it with the values of the CFA Institute, and emphasises the benefits for students and the wider finance community.

How Female Charterholders Inspire Each Other

Earlier this year, CFA Society Sweden’s Women in Finance Committee took the initiative to start a series of intimate gatherings of female CFA Charterholders in Stockholm. Did you know that there are only just above 30 of them?

The result has been so far two highly inspiring lunch gatherings hosted at SEB Asset Management’s office in central Stockholm. A wide range of practical topics was discussed, from how to teach women to invest their money to what the key skill set is for everyone’s job. The lunch concludes with a key question from the chair of the Women in Finance Committee, Alexandra Voss, CFA: “How can we help you?” (and here is how you can help me…)

We look forward to more sessions this autumn!

Brand New Strategy for CFA Society Sweden’s ESG Committee

This spring CFA Society Sweden took a proactive step to recruit new members to its ESG Committee and the interest was very high among the holders of CFA Institute’s Certificate in ESG Investing.

The newly formed committee has met twice and proposed a new strategy that was accepted by the board at its last board meeting before the summer.

First of all, the committee reshaped its mission to include a more proactive outreach to the community of analysts and other ESG specialists locally. The aim is for the committee to also continue in the tradition of designating the winner of the CFA Society Sweden’s annual ESG Award.

The new mission is the following:

The CFA Society Sweden’s ESG Committee aims to promote and improve ESG analysis within the investment community in Sweden by:

  • promoting the CFA ESG Certificate and other CFA Institute educational programs related to sustainable investments
  • creating a community of ESG analysts, investors and service providers through the organisation of events and the diffusion of relevant information
  • designating the receiver of the CFA Society Sweden’s annual ESG Award

The work of the committee is driven by Simone Hirschvogl, CFA (chair) and Aline Gustafsson, CFA (executive officer). 

Other members include

  • Alfred Askeljung
  • Anette Andersson
  • Niclas Düring
  • Yuhan Guo
  • Karoline Hatlestad
  • John Howchin
  • Irene Mastelli
  • Kristians Mikelsons, CFA
  • Johanna Orring
  • Mia Störlopare
  • Rawand Sultani
  • Nikolina Trcak
  • Tomas Valnek
  • Irina Velieva

The committee now has its work cut out for the autumn and aims to arrange two to three events around relevant themes and to open these events to a community of highly engaged ESG analysts and experts. Stay tuned to these upcoming opportunities and pleae do reach out if you are interested in finding out more about the work of the ESG Committee.

CFA Society Sweden’s ESG Committee – Strategy Meeting, May 2024

Annual CFA Society Sweden Golf Event

On June 1st, it was once again time for the annual CFA Society Sweden golf event, where CFA members and golf enthusiasts met up to have a good time on the course.

As many times before, Stockholms GK was the venue course, and it delivered nice weather and good food.

The lucky winner for the day was Christopher Andersson, who delivered high-quality shots and problem-solving skills both from the fairway and, occasionally, the forest. He managed to keep his nerves in check and win by a tight margin.

Thanks to all who participated, and I hope to see you soon again in other CFA events!

Forecast Dinner 2024 – Photo Gallery

Forecast Dinner 2024 – Wellshop for Workbeings

CFA Society Sweden would like to thank everyone who joined us on April 25th and contributed to making it a fantastic event.

To our speakers, thank you for sharing your expertise, experiences, and inspiration with us. To all the participants, thank you for your active engagement, thoughtful questions, and meaningful discussions.

You can now find the presentation of the Keynote speaker here:

Download the presentation here or preview below.

Daniel Pålsson – Wellshop for Workbeing

Wellshop-for-workbeings-CFA-25-april

 

Global Child Forum wins CFA Society Sweden ESG Award 2023

Global Child Forum Wins the Prestigious CFA Sweden ESG Award 2023

Stockholm, 26 April – Global Child Forum, a leading advocate for children’s rights and corporate social responsibility, is proud to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious CFA Sweden ESG Award for 2023. This accolade is presented annually by CFA Society Sweden to recognize outstanding contributions toward integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations into the investment process. Specifically, this award acknowledges Global Child Forum’s dedication to ensuring that children’s rights are a central aspect of ESG considerations, emphasizing the critical role that safeguarding young individuals plays in responsible corporate practices and sustainable investments

Global Child Forum is dedicated to advancing children’s rights and fostering a more sustainable society by engaging with global corporations, financial institutions, and policymakers. The organization’s influential work includes producing the largest global children’s rights and business benchmark, which investors actively use to inform investment decisions based on robust child rights and ESG criteria.

Katarina Mellström, Secretary General of Global Child Forum, expressed her gratitude following the award recognition: “We are deeply honored to receive the CFA Sweden ESG Award, which underscores the vital role of the investor community in advocating for child rights within corporate practices. Our benchmark empowers investors to hold companies accountable for their actions regarding child rights, aligning investments with ethical practices. This accountability fosters a sustainable business environment and offers substantial benefits for companies and investors alike by enhancing reputation, ensuring compliance, and building trust in the marketplace.”

Currently, investors with 7.9 trillion USD AUM are using our Global Child Forum’s data and insights. Matthew Goodwin, Head of Sustainable Investing at Global Child Forum, added, “This award is a testament to the vital role of transparent and accountable ESG practices in the investment community. Our benchmark provides clear, actionable insights that empower investors to make informed decisions that foster better outcomes for society, proving that good practices in child rights are not just ethical, but make sound business sense too.”

John Howchin, member of CFA Society Sweden’s ESG Committee and responsible for the Award’s nomination process, commented on the decision to honour Global Child Forum: “Children’s rights is an issue that is more important than ever due to a wide array of reasons: the post-COVID economic downturn impacting livelihoods deep down in the supply chains of many companies, the continued pressure of digital platforms focusing on children, and many more. Global Child Forum’s benchmark has focused on bringing the issue of children’s rights to the investment community in an accessible format for many years, offering concrete data that supports engagement with companies and responsible investment decisions. This year’s CFA Sweden ESG Award is a mark of their dedication to improving children’s rights worldwide and reminding us not to lose sight of this important issue.”

The recognition by CFA Society Sweden highlights Global Child Forum’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the integration of ESG considerations into the fabric of financial and corporate sectors. It also reaffirms the organization’s role as a pivotal influence in the global discourse on sustainability and corporate governance.

The CFA Sweden ESG Award was presented to the Global Child Forum at the Society’s Annual Forecast Dinner on April 25 in Stockholm.

Previous recipients of the CFA Sweden ESG Award are:

  • 2022 – ChemSec – the International Chemical Secretariat
  • 2021 – Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute and Ulf Erlandsson
  • 2018 – Norrsken Foundation
  • 2017 – Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB)
  • 2016 – Örebro Kommun and Region Västmanland
  • 2015 – Steven Smit, Morningstar
  • 2014 – Mats Andersson AP4, Liza Jonson Storebrand AM and G. Hahn S. Kyrkan
  • 2013 – Hennes & Mauritz AB
  • 2012 – Peter Norman, Finansdepartementet
  • 2011 – Gunilla Hjalmarsson, Meta AM. and Anna Nilsson, Swedbank Robur
  • 2010 – Sasja Beslik, Nordea Investment Management

For media inquiries, please contact:
Linda Ravin Lodding
Head of Communications
linda.lodding@globalchildforum.org, +46 72 387 0248

President: David Krook, CFA
Vice President:  Alexandra Voss, CFA.
CFA Society Sweden: info@cfasweden.se

About Global Child Forum

Founded in 2009 by the Swedish Royal Family, Global Child Forum is a leading forum for children’s rights and business dedicated to innovative thinking, knowledge-sharing, and networking.  Global Child Forum believes in the power and responsibility of business, working in partnership with all parts of society to create a prosperous, sustainable, and just society for the world’s children. In addition to forums, Global Child Forum delivers research perspectives, best practices, and risk assessment tools designed to unlock opportunities for businesses to integrate children’s rights into their operations and communities. For more information, please visit: www.globalchildforum.org

About CFA Society Sweden:

CFA Society Sweden is a not-for-profit organisation of investment professionals based in Sweden, founded in 2003. It aims to promote a high level of professionalism among its members and the broader investment community. The organisation has 165 members who are CFA Charterholders. A CFA Charterholder is a person who has successfully completed the CFA program, which is considered amongst the most challenging financial exams in the world. There are currently over 150,000 CFA Charterholders worldwide. The CFA program is administered by the CFA Institute.

About CFA Society Sweden’s ESG Committee:

The CFA Society Sweden’s ESG Committee is composed of engaged members of CFA Society Sweden who have a strong interest in the promotion of high-quality education and in supporting sound ESG standards in the analysis of financial investments. The ESG Committee is chaired by Simone Hirschvogl, CFA. The committee’s longest-standing member is John Howchin, former Secretary-General of the Council on Ethics for the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Swedish National Pension Funds. Currently, he oversees sector strategy for the work on the Transition Decade project with a focus on the hard-to-abate sectors at IIGCC and for the Climate Action100+ project, among many other engagements. Howchin is responsible for the ESG Award’s nomination process.

Valuation of Cryptoassets: A Guide for Investment Professionals

In an era where cryptocurrency redefines financial boundaries, understanding its true value has become essential for savvy investors. On April 10th, Olivier Fines, CFA, and Urav Soni from the CFA Institute presented an exclusive webinar on crypto assets, where we dived into the dynamic world of digital assets. This engaging session provided a comprehensive toolkit for effectively valuing crypto assets.

 

Geo-Economics – geopolitical dynamics and the practical link to investment strategies

Joachim Klement, in his groundbreaking book “Geo-Economics: The Interplay between Geopolitics, Economics, and Investments,” provides a unique perspective on international political economy (IPE) from an investor’s standpoint. Departing from traditional IPE scholarship, Mr Klement’s work focuses on the practical implications for markets and market prices, making it a must-read for scholars and investment management practitioners.

The book delves into significant international challenges such as US–China competition, energy and natural resources, data and cyber security, and climate change, approaching these issues as essential conflicts and exploring their potential resolutions. Klement’s insights bridge the gap between geopolitics and investment, offering a fresh and focused perspective that adds a new dimension to contemporary debates.

Joachim Klement presented his “Geo-Economics” in an exclusive webinar for CFA Society Sweden members on February 22nd. The presentation delved into the interplay between geopolitics, economics, and investments.

 

Klement’s practical experience as an investor sets this work apart, providing a poignant translation of the logic of conflict into the logic of the markets. Unlike other texts that offer a historical perspective, “Geo-Economics” delivers a unique and insightful connection between geopolitical dynamics and investment strategies.

Please have a look at Mr Klement´s full book here. The presentation from the webinar can be found here.

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