ESG INTELLIGENCE

Financial reporting community needs to learn from India’s start-up success story, says NFRA chairman

“India ranks third globally in terms of the number of start-ups that are becoming unicorns. We all should collectively think if we can do the same thing in the auditing community,” Pandey said in his closing remarks. Pandey noted that NFRA would coordinate with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to help create enabling frameworks for establishing home-grown audit firms like the Big Four.

Boards are getting younger as companies look for tech skills in directors

According to data from Primeinfobase, about 830 first-time independent directors were appointed in calendar 2023, up from 776 the previous year and 518 in pre-pandemic 2019. The average age of these first-time independent directors has declined to 53 years in 2023 from 59 years five years earlier.

India’s entrepreneurial system will not lose from generative AI entry

Spence, who is a professor and dean emeritus at Stanford University, said at the summit on Saturday that Western economies are unlikely to gain more from the transition to generative AI than developing nations.

Eurasian states may explore creation of a common digital platform for sharing solutions and best practices

Countries of Eurasia, including Russia and Central Asia, may explore creating a common digital platform for the exchange of technological solutions, patents, and innovative ideas. Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov mooted this idea at the Digital Almaty 2024 Forum. India, a leader in the digital world, may play a key part in this process.

ET roundable in Davos: Human intelligence is needed to keep the AI machine humming

At an ET roundtable in Davos, Sruthijith KK engaged with PwC global chairman Robert Moritz, RPG Group vice chairman Anant Goenka and Apollo Hospitals vice chairperson Preetha Reddy on a range of subjects—from how CEOs view business disruption to India’s economic outlook and healthcare trends. Edited excerpts:

View: Beyond Davos - Rebuilding and maintaining trust

The author reflects on the 54th annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, highlighting the event's role as a global stage for leaders to address pressing challenges and seek collaborative solutions. With a renewed sense of urgency due to the fragile geopolitical situation, the theme of rebuilding trust emerges as central this year. The author notes India, Sustainability, and Artificial Intelligence as prominent topics, with pavilions reflecting growing influence.

AI, ESG, and IDE: The challenges and opportunities CEOs must navigate for business growth

CEOs face the unenviable task of anticipating future trends, growing the business, making it sustainable, and insulating the business and its people against possible disruptions – all at once.

Forget a career in tech. It is raining jobs in climate as companies navigate a new business environment

You no longer have to be an activist to work for the environment. Industries are eagerly hiring such people to meet their commercial, social and compliance objectives.

Ready to see new capex deliver, Apollo can ill afford a blemish

Apollo Hospitals is one of the most integrated healthcare players in the country with a presence across various aspects of the healthcare value chain - hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, diagnostics, and insurance. It has the largest hospital chain in the country, including 71 facilities that together have 9,789 beds, and the business has a market value just shy of ₹80,000 crore.

Bankers seek legal cover after backing $1.5 trillion of ESG debt

In the handful of years they've existed, sustainability-linked loans have mushroomed into a $1.5 trillion market. SLLs let borrowers and lenders say that a loan is tied to some environmental or social metric. But the documentation to back those claims generally isn't available to the public, nor is the market regulated. Lawyers advising SLL bankers say the reputational risks associated with mislabeling such products are now too big to ignore.

AI, machine learning key for businesses' short-term goals: KPMG report

Among leading businesses that have prioritised investment in technology to drive profitability, AI and machine learning are even bigger priorities, with over two-thirds (68%) finding them vital to their short-term plans.

Climate change puts sovereigns at downgrade risk, study finds

In the overall economic damage being caused by the climate change, rising debt costs might become an extra facet.

ESG Funds can reward investors, create wealth: Chirag Mehta of Quantum Mutual Fund

"If one maintains an optimal allocation to equities, building respectable wealth, beating inflation, and accomplishing financial goals are possible," says Chirag Mehta, CIO, Quantum AMC.

AI hype starting to ‘Smell Like Dot-Com Era,’ ESG veteran says

The race to get a piece of the AI boom went into turbo mode last month, after Nvidia Corp. wowed the market with a set of sales targets that surprised even the most upbeat analyst forecasts.

Preparing for a board position as a senior leader

Non-executive and independent directors play an important role in corporate governance, with environment, social, and governance requirements becoming more significant. The broader strategic context of technology is another important discussion in boardrooms. Companies may offer training to help leaders become board ready. Women are increasingly finding board positions an emerging career option.

ESG in real assets: How environmental consideration is playing a part in all forms of decision making

The year 2020 saw significant adoption of ESG in realty and infrastructure sectors as COVID-induced disruption pushed investors to focus on ESG considerations while making investment-related decisions.

BPM builds ESG tools as clients focus on sustainability targets

Analytics tools in high demand as ESG initiatives become a priority for clients in India and abroad.

JPMorgan investment arm purges its ESG funds of Adani stocks

The JPMorgan Global Emerging Markets Research Enhanced Index Equity ESG UCITS ETF offloaded the more than 70,000 shares in cement manufacturer ACC Ltd., exiting a stake it’s held since May 2021, according to a data review by Bloomberg that looked at movements following the Jan. 24 publication of the Hindenburg report.

Critical To Build ESG Centres Of Excellence (COEs) Within The Captives

ESG Inc: It's now profitable to look beyond profits

While adopting the ESG framework, companies have maximum focus on environmental issues, then social issues and lastly governance aspects. According to the Morningstar Sustainalytics Corporate ESG Survey Report 2022, carbon emissions from operations; emissions, effluents and waste; and carbon emissions from products and services were the top three ESG issues that the companies intended to prioritise in the coming year.

Sustainability to become integral to a firm's core goals in few years: Accenture chairperson Rekha Menon

Sustainability services is an important area for Accenture, both internally and as a business offering, and is now a billion-dollar business for the consulting firm globally, Menon said.

Dun & Bradstreet India launches ESG Intelligence, aims to help organisations turn ESG-compliant

It has been launched​​ to help organisations become ESG-compliant by conducting self-assessments as well as accessing third-party ESG reports on suppliers, vendors and other supply chain partners.

Top 3 investment bets for millennials to beat market volatility and make money

The economy too is at a volatile juncture with slower-than-expected growth recovery and galloping inflation. For stocks, the plausibility of earnings growth is diluting and valuation is said to trade below the long-term average. So, what could be better than to have some safe options even during a volatile period, enjoy the thrills of new-age investments and still achieve the monetary goals?