New York – Dow Jones newswires reports today that UBS AG’s (UBS) investment bank is teaming up with British environmental researcher Trucost PLC in a move to broaden its research business in light of growing demand for environment-based research. Trucost examines, a London-based firm, quantifies the greenhouse-gas emissions, or carbon footprints, of companies. The Obama administration’s cap-and-trade proposal would set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions and create a market in which companies could trade emission allowances. That could potentially prove costly to companies that emit large amounts of greenhouse gases emissions. Europe has had market-based emissions trading since 2005.
“The demand for socially responsible and environmentally conscious research has risen sharply,” said UBS equities research chief Mark Steinert. “Our alliance with Trucost enhances our ability to provide our clients with highly relevant and differentiated perspectives that will support both their investment goals as well as their philosophies.”
Simon Thomas, Chief Executive of Trucost said, “Trucost was established in 2000 to help investors, companies and government to understand how companies’ environmental impacts could affect their financial performance. With the world’s largest and most comprehensive database of corporate environmental impacts covering the world’s major indices, Trucost looks forward to working with UBS to help its clients understand and reduce their investment exposure to the financial risk of climate change regulation.”
Nick Agarwal, Head of UBS Alternative Research further added, “This relationship demonstrates UBS’s continued efforts to build UBS Alternative Research and provide clients with greater access to nontraditional content and tools that can enhance their overall investment processes.”
Since 2008, UBS Alternative Research has formed strategic alliances with four other firms including Integrity Research, Governance Metrics International, America’s Research Group and Noble.
Click here to view the press release on Trucost’s website