Collaboration broadens the research field
Sustainable Investment Research Platform (SIRP), one of the sub-programmes in Sustainable Investments, has initiated collaboration with ASSET4, an analysis company with offices in Switzerland, the UK, the US, France, Maurtius and India.
ASSET4 provides information to investors about how corporations work with ESG issues (environmental, social, corporate governance). The data that SIRP will gain access to through this collaboration contains 250 factors that take ESG issues into account in the 2,500 largest corporations in the world. “This collaboration with provide us with access to data that we haven´t had previously, which will enable us to carry out significantly more multifaceted research with regard to corporations´ work with ESG issues," says Lars Hassel, Programme Director for SIRP at the Umeå School of Business. Scores
Until now, researchers in SIRP have had access to different indexes or combined scores for different companies´ work with environmental, social and governance questions. But the data that they can now use contains much more basic and detailed information. “We will be able to implement different types of studies that weren´t possible previously and we will even receive research ideas from the staff of ASSET4, who are well aware of our research," says Lars Hassel. The collaboration, which will be extended one year at a time in the beginning, is expected to continue for several years.
