EcoVadis and CDP Partner on Supply Chain Reporting

EcoVadis and the Carbon Disclosure Project have joined forces to make it easier for companies in the supply chains of large purchasing corporations to report their carbon and climate change information.

The two companies say their strengths compliment each other: CDP has expertise on GHG emissions, climate change and water; EcoVadis’ web-based platform allows companies to assess the environmental and social performance of their global suppliers. Its customers include Heineken and Alcatel-Lucent.

The partnership allows responding companies to minimize their reporting by automatically transferring the information in their CDP response to EcoVadis’ system.

Having access to CDP’s information will improve the quality of the EcoVadis supplier sustainability rating data, the companies say. Additionally, the EcoVadis supplier scorecards will allow CDP Supply Chain customers to more quickly implement sustainability initiatives based on reporting data.

In other partnership news, FactSet Research Systems has integrated MSCI ESG Research data and ratings on the FactSet platform, which the companies say will make it easier for clients to invest in environmentally and socially conscious companies.

FactSet provides financial data and analytical software for investment professionals; MSCI makes investment decision support tools.

The partnership means FactSet clients can use MSCI ESG Research data in their investment analysis, and include ESG factors throughout their investment process.

The companies say MSCI ESG Research analysis and ratings in FactSet includes three separate approaches:

• MSCI ESG Intangible Value Assessment (IVA) includes ratings and analysis of a company’s management of environmental and social risk factors that can show ESG-driven investment risks or opportunities that may not be captured by conventional analysis.
• MSCI ESG Impact Monitor analyzes and monitors “ESG controversies” and violations of global norms such as the UN Global Compact.
• MSCI ESG Business Involvement Screening Research allows investors to screen out companies involved in countries such as Sudan and Iran, with activities such as tobacco or weapons, or that violate religious mandates.

Last year FactSet and Trucost created an integrated platform for analyzing environmental and financial risk, with pension fund CalSTRS their first high-profile customer.