BNP Paribas has launched CapLink, a new digitalised reporting platform for hedge funds and other alternative fund managers and investors. The platform – which comprises CapLink Investor and CapLink Private - offers users simple and secure access to digitalised reporting, ESG insights and data analytics capabilities with the aim of enhancing transparency and support investment-making decisions.

Qblue Balanced (Qblue), a Copenhagen based asset manager, and Heptagon Capital (Heptagon), a London based asset management firm, have jointly launched an Article 9 equity fund – ‘Qblue Global Sustainable Leaders Fund’.

Michael Hintze’s hedge fund CQS is is considering launching a 'green' collateralised loan obligation (CLO) in Europe according to a report by Bloomberg, as it looks to further expand its ESG offering.

Qontigo, a provider of innovative risk, analytics, and index solutions has entered into a partnership with RepRisk, a pioneer and leader in ESG data science, whereby Qontigo will enable solutions and access to RepRisk ESG risk data via Axioma portfolio analytics and risk models, and build indices under its STOXX family of brands.

The ESG-driven corporate governance revolution in Japan is creating investment opportunities similar to those in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s, according to Jeff Atherton, manager of the Man GLG Japan CoreAlpha Fund.

Managed Funds Association (MFA), which represents the global hedge fund and alternative investment industry has responded positively to the Department of Labor's proposed rule regarding the application of the fiduciary duties of prudence and loyalty in selecting plan investments and exercising shareholder rights.

Alternative investment firm Angelo Gordon has appointed Allison Binns, former Executive Director for Global Sustainability Research at Morgan Stanley, as Head of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) and Sustainable Investing Strategies. 

With ESG data now a hot commodity across the financial services sector, hedge funds and other asset managers must dig deeper into company metrics to gain an edge, as the industry continues to grapple with a lack of consistent standardisation of sustainability scoring.  

Fund and corporate services provider, the Aztec Group, has formed an alliance with the global sustainability platform, Worldfavor, to launch new ESG and Sustainability Services for private market investment managers.

As sustainable investing has gathered pace in recent years, asset allocation, position  reporting and other regulatory and client disclosures at various stages of the investment process have all been impacted by the rise of ESG factors in portfolios.