New Benchmarks Put an End to ‘Anything Goes’ for ESG Indexes

Photographer: Bloomberg Creative Photos/Bloomberg Creative Collection
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ESG asset managers are accelerating their use of new climate-investing benchmarks created by European authorities, in a development that’s set to make it harder to get away with greenwashing.

While only about $1.2 billion is now tied to gauges that meet European Commission requirements -- a tiny fraction of the $35 trillion of ESG assets worldwide -- inflows have more than doubled since January, according to the European Securities and Markets Authority.