Banks-must-define-ESG-risk-first
27 Apr 26

Banks cannot industrialise sustainability risk handling before they define it

Banks cannot industrialise sustainability risk handling before they define it The EBA requirement is real, and it goes far beyond climate risk The author, Dag A.D.Messelt, is a domain expert in sustainability risk and he is working with sustainability risk assessment methodology, including sustainability risk materiality, at SustainAX, a Swedish ESG rating provider he co-founded […]
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EBA-regulation-ESG-risk-integration-credit
22 Apr 26

What the EBA actually requires from banks in sustainability risk integration

BANKS – What the EBA actually requires in sustainability risk integration Why this is a prudential issue, not an ESG reporting exercise The author, Dag A.D.Messelt, is a domain expert in sustainability risk and he is working with sustainability risk assessment methodology, including sustainability risk materiality, at SustainAX, a Swedish ESG rating provider he co-founded […]
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Failed-ESG-risk-questionaires-and-process-for-banks
19 Apr 26

Why most bank questionnaires on sustainability fail

Why most bank questionnaires on sustainability fail Collecting debtor information without a materiality framework creates noise, not risk insight The author, Dag A.D.Messelt, is a domain expert in sustainability risk and he is working with sustainability risk assessment methodology, including sustainability risk materiality, at SustainAX, a Swedish ESG rating provider he co-founded in 2021. Many […]
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Failed-ESG-risk-automation-by-banks
11 Apr 26

Automating sustainability risk assessment in banks – Pitfalls

Automating sustainability risk assessment – Pitfalls Why deterministic design beats agentic guesswork in regulated credit The author, Dag A.D.Messelt, is a domain expert in sustainability risk and he is working with sustainability risk assessment methodology, including sustainability risk materiality, at SustainAX, a Swedish ESG rating provider he co-founded in 2021. Automation is now central to […]
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SustainAX_Choose_pill_decision-ready-ESGriskData_or_CheapCORPORATEdata_v2
29 Jan 26

What is decision-ready ESG data for risk integration?

What is decision-ready ESG data for risk integration? ESG risk integration is no longer a matter of preference or positioning. In the EU, it is a regulatory requirement tied directly to fiduciary duty, risk management, and capital allocation. For asset managers, SFDR requires sustainability risks to be integrated into investment decision-making processes across all asset […]
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Yearend2025_Team_sustainAX_ESG_risk_Research_and_rating
20 Dec 25

Season’s Greetings!

Dear Clients, Partners, and Friends of sustainAX, Thank you for your trust and collaboration throughout 2025. As the year draws to a close, we would like to briefly reflect and look ahead. 2025 marked important milestones for sustainAX. Our value proposition was increasingly validated through deeper client engagement, new partnership discussions, and extended coverage within […]
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Certified-ESG-Analysts-6-2025-10
11 Nov 25

Nordic Certified ESG* Analysts Overview #6 – Danske Bank taking off, distancing Nordea and dwarfing the other large Nordic banks also when including the CFA Sustainable Investing Certificate data.

Nordic Certified ESG* Analysts Overview #6 – CESGA – Danske Bank taking off, distancing Nordea and dwarfing the other large Nordic banks also when including the CFA Sustainable Investing Certificate data. The finance industry is suffering from the lack of genuine ESG analyst expertise. This challenge is growing more significant as climate change shows up, […]
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27 Aug 25

Since the SFDR Wake-Up Call from Norway’s Financial Regulator

Since the SFDR Wake-Up Call from Norway’s Financial Regulator In October last year, Norway’s Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanstilsynet) reported that 54 per cent of the 87 asset managers and financial advisers it reviewed over the year failed to meet the standards set by the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). What has happened since? A further […]
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04 Mar 25

How the ESG Analyst Should Think – From Climate Change Scenarios to ESG* Risk Materiality or Brace for Physical Climate Changes!

How the ESG Analyst Should Think – From Climate Change Scenarios to ESG* Risk Materiality Or Brace for Physical Climate Changes! ESG risk materiality – A dynamic and complex perspective Understanding ESG risk materiality requires knowledge of the typical ESG risks for activities often grouped in industries and sectors. Unlike traditional financial risks, rooted in […]
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ESG back to reality #2 - Only profitable ESG risk mitigation works
17 Jan 25

ESG BACK TO REALITY #2 – Only profitable ESG risk mitigation works

ESG BACK TO REALITY #2 – Only profitable ESG risk* mitigation works Only Profitable Sustainability Initiatives Can Be Expected from Businesses No private enterprise will sacrifice margins for lofty global goals. Behind the communication about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in sustainability reports lies a different reality: Only profitable sustainability initiatives will lead to […]
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