European Commission

Regulation that sets out performance thresholds for organisations to classify their economic activities as “sustainable” according to European policy objectives.

Use this resource to:

• Identify: Find the economic activities that correspond to the financial institution’s activities and review what the taxonomy says about likely impacts on sustainability. This can be an input into identifying sustainability topics to measure. This regulation is based on research connecting economic activities to likely significant impacts on six environmental objectives. Currently, research related to objectives of climate change mitigation and adaptation are most developed.
• Measure, assess and value: Assess whether underlying assets are sustainable. Underlying assets that fall under the taxonomy regulation will report on the portion of their revenue, capital expenditure and operational expenditure that are ‘taxonomy aligned’, and therefore considered a ‘sustainable investment’ according EU policy objectives.
• Set targets and plan: Set objectives for a portion of the portfolio to be ‘taxonomy-aligned’. Regulation provides investors with a set of performance thresholds that have to be met for an underlying asset to be viewed as operating sustainably in relation to one the EU’s six environmental objectives. Underlying assets that are ‘taxonomy aligned’ are generating sustainable outcomes and are therefore also ‘Benefiting stakeholders’.

Regulation that sets out sustainability disclosure requirements for financial market participants within the EU. It includes disclosure requirements for firm-level as well as for investment products. Disclosure requirements cover mitigation of negative impacts termed ‘principal adverse impacts’ and performance on sustainable investment objectives.

Use this resource to:

• Communicate: Review regulation for disclosure requirements for financial market participants in the EU

The EU Climate Transition Benchmarks (CTB) and Paris-Aligned Benchmarks (PAB) are examples of portfolio impact benchmarking techniques being employed in regulation. The regulation sets out requirements for index providers to construct investable indexes that are on a 7% decarbonisation trajectory.

Use this resource to:

• Measure, assess and value: Review EU’s proposed approach for establishing benchmarks, which incorporates greenhouse gas emissions at portfolio level. A climate benchmark serves as an investment performance benchmark for GHG emission-related strategies; an engagement tool and a policy benchmark to help guide strategic asset allocation.