23 February 2021
IQ-EQ CFO e-Lab: How will the EU Taxonomy and SFDR affect Asset Managers?
IQ-EQ is pleased to introduce the fourth webinar in our CFO e-Lab series, which seeks to explain the impact that the EU Taxonomy and Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) will have on asset managers.
The Taxonomy Regulation, which entered into force on 12 July 2020, sets out an EU-wide framework which, according to investors and businesses, can assess whether certain economic activities are “sustainable”. The objective of this Regulation is to combat ‘greenwashing’ and help everyone identify what is or is not sustainable.
The Taxonomy Regulation impacts not only upon asset managers focusing on impact and ESG investing, but upon all asset managers investing in, or are based in, Europe as it is clearly stated in the Regulation that financial market participants which do not take into account the criteria for environmentally sustainable investments should provide a statement to this end.
On the other hand, SFDR will take effect on March 10, 2021. The main objective of this regulation is to enhance transparency regarding the integration of environmental, social and governance matters into investment decisions and recommendations. Asset managers will be asked to disclose at entity and product level how they build sustainability into the products they provide and how products branded as sustainable achieve their objectives.
To understand how these Regulations will impact upon your business and what needs to be done to be compliant, we invite you to join our upcoming CFO e-Lab which will take place on Tuesday, 23 February at 2pm GMT.
In this unique online masterclass introduced and moderated by Justin Partington, Group Head of Funds, IQ-EQ, we will hear from:
Catherine Martougin, Partner, Funds & Asset Management, Baker McKenzie Luxembourg
Michael Maldener, Managing Director & Conducting Officer - Nordea Investment Funds SA, Luxembourg
Following Catherine and Michael’s presentations, we will open the floor for an audience Q&A. The session will be split evenly between presentations (30 mins) and question time (30 mins).
Not able to make it? Don’t worry! We’ll also be sharing a recording of the session via our IQ-EQ Podcast platform. Follow us on LinkedIn for further updates.
About the CFO e-Lab series
The private equity, real estate and private debt sectors have all experienced record growth within the past year. Private equity assets under management (AUM) increased to $3.4 trillion in 2019, the value of global property AUM reached $3.6 trillion as of June 2019, while private debt, the youngest asset class in the private capital universe, saw its AUM reach a record high of $812 billion in the same timeframe. Notwithstanding the effects of COVID-19, appetite for investment in these alternative asset classes is here to stay.
As these sectors continue to mature and evolve, the role of the chief financial officer (CFO) is also changing. Private fund CFOs are increasingly being asked to act as a ‘central hub’, tasked with actively driving value and business performance, finding and deploying innovative solutions to achieve greater efficiency, while also helping guide overall strategic direction as forward-looking datakeepers.
In recognition of this demanding remit and the importance of information sharing, support and networking, IQ-EQ’s CFO e-Lab series is a special programme of masterclasses targeted specifically to chief financial officers (CFOs) in the private funds sector. Each masterclass will focus on a different sectoral ‘hot topic’ and be delivered by senior professionals who are experts within that specific area. Click here to find out more about the initiative.
