The ASCOR Project: Progress report

What is the ASCOR Project?

ASCOR will allow investors to assess governments’ climate-related commitments, their policy frameworks (including carbon pricing, energy subsidies, the phase-out of combustion vehicles, deforestation and land use policies) and the actions they are taking to ensure that the benefits of the low-carbon transition and of adaptation are shared among their citizens.

Importantly, ASCOR will not score countries, nor give investment advice or direction – it is a tool to enhance investors’ decision-making capabilities and to support investors working towards net-zero goals.

Who is involved?

The project is an international collaboration of investor networks, asset owners and investment managers, representing over US$5 trillion AUM and chaired by BT Pension Scheme (BTPS) and the Church of England Pensions Board.

The members of the ASCOR Steering Committee are: the UN-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance; Ceres; the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change; the Principles for Responsible Investment, and SURA Asset Management.

The members of the ASCOR Advisory Committee are: Aktia Bank, Allspring Global Investments, Amundi,Colchester Global Investors, Franklin Templeton, MFS Investment Management and Ninety-One, alongside the steering committee members.

The research is being led by the Transition Pathway Initiative team at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, at the London School of Economics. The project is supported by Chronos Sustainability.

ASCOR Project funding

ASCOR is funded by BTPS, the Church of England Pensions Board, SURA  Asset Management, Aktia Bank, Allspring Global Investments, Amundi, Colchester Global Investors, Franklin Templeton, MFS Investment Management and Ninety-One.