ESG Factors by Sector
Time Horizons for Incorporating ESG Factors
Both issuer and transaction-specific ratings incorporate ESG and other risks for the life of the rating. The probability of a specific adverse event may be much lower under a two-year time horizon than the probability of the same event occurring over a 30-year time horizon.
Methodologies and Disclosures
ESG factors are part of the rating process across the four credit rating groups — Governments, Financial Institutions, Corporate Finance, and Structured Finance — and where appropriate are detailed in press releases and rating reports.
1. Social Impact of Products and Services
Not applicable.
- Not applicable.
Do we consider that the social impact of the issuer's products and services pose a financial or regulatory risk to the issuer?
Do changes in consumer behaviour or secular social trends pose a financial or regulatory risk to the issuer?
- Decreased availability of affordable insurance products in key business lines such as auto and home in areas prone to adverse weather events can affect the public perception and reputation of insurance companies.
- Financial institutions unable to adapt to new technologies (e.g. AI) can suffer loss of market shares and reduced profitability.
Do we consider that the social impact of the issuer's products and services pose a financial or regulatory risk to the issuer?
- Digital streaming causes changes in the ways that society consumes entertain-ment, thereby cannibalizing revenues from other product lines of telecommunication and cable companies.
Do the securitized assets have an extraordinarily positive or negative social impact on the borrowers and/or society, and do these characteristics of these assets result in different default rates and/or recovery expectations?
Does the business model or the underlying borrower(s) have an extraordinarily positive or negative effect on their stakeholders and/or society, and does this result in different default rates and/or recovery expectations?
Considering changes in consumer behaviour or secular social trends: Does this affect the default and/or loss expectations for the securitized assets?
- Government schemes to promote home ownership (for example, by providing equity loans) can have a positive effect on a country’s residential property values (recoveries), but negatively affect the borrowers’ default risk amid higher indebtedness.
- Trend toward e-commerce and online shopping may affect CRE values negatively (retail) or positively (industrial warehouses).
- A CRE sponsor’s strategy to modernize and convert social housing into free-market units negatively affects tenants’ affordability, but could have positive effects on the community. If successful, it can increase the rental cash flow and value of its housing stock, reducing default risk and increasing recoveries.
2. Human Capital and Human Rights
Compared with regional or global peers, is the domestic labour force more or less competitive, flexible and productive?
Are labour or social conflicts a key source of economic volatility?
Are individual and human rights insufficiently respected or failing to meet the population’s expectations?
Is the government exposed to heavy, coordinated international pressure as a result of its respect for fundamental human rights?
- Trade and investment significantly declines because of weak labour protections and human rights violations.
- Inadequate investment in education and skills development limits job growth and results in net emigration from a region.
Is the issuer exposed to staffing risks, such as the scarcity of skilled labour, uncompetitive wages, or frequent labour relations conflicts, that could result in a material financial or operational impact?
Do violations of rights create a potential liability that can negatively affect the issuer’s financial wellbeing or reputation?
- Staff restructuring programs or striking employees can have an impact on customer relations.
- Lending to or insuring companies that do not respect fundamental human rights could have a reputational impact on the financial institution.
Is the issuer exposed to staffing risks, such as the scarcity of skilled labour, uncompetitive wages, or frequent labour relations conflicts, that could result in a material financial or operational impact?
Do violations of rights create a potential liability that can negatively affect the issuer’s financial wellbeing or reputation?
- Striking employees can have an impact on customer relations.
- Doing business with companies that do not respect fundamental human rights could have a substantial reputational impact on the company.
Are the originator, servicer, or underlying borrower(s) exposed to staffing risks and could this have a financial or operational effect on the structured finance issuer?
Is there unmitigated compliance risk due to mis-selling, lending practices, or work-out procedures that could result in higher default risk and/or lower recovery expectations for the securitized assets?
- A servicer may have difficulty attracting qualified employees and retaining talent, affecting its servicing ability.
- Aggressive servicer loss mitigation tactics that are doubtful from a human rights perspective may lead to litigation and fines that may be borne by the structured finance issuer and its noteholders.
3. Product Governance
Not applicable.
- Not applicable.
Does failure in delivering quality products and services cause damage to customers and expose the issuer to financial and legal liability?
- Questionable marketing for consumer financial products can lead to high-profile fines and negatively affect the financial institution’s franchise value.
Does failure in delivering quality products and services cause damage to customers and expose the issuer to financial and legal liability?
- Selling faulty products and services can lead to high-profile fines and negatively affect the company’s franchise value.
Does the originator’s, servicer’s, or underlying borrower(s)’ failure to deliver quality products and services cause damage that may result in higher default risk and/or lower recovery expectations for the securitized assets?
- Unmitigated risk of redress for misselling and/or regulatory changes can lead to fines and may negatively affect recoveries.
- Lending practices that impose unfair or deceptive loan terms on a borrower that may negatively affect recoveries.
4. Data Privacy and Security
5. Occupational Health and Safety
6. Community Relations
See Institutional Strength, Governance, and Transparency factor below.
- Not applicable.
Does engagement, or lack of engagement, with local communities pose a financial or reputational risk to the issuer?
- Any of the financial institution’s activities seen to unfavourably affect the community in which it operates will likely have reputational consequences.
Does engagement, or lack of engagement, with local communities pose a financial or reputational risk to the issuer?
- Any activities seen to unfavourably affect the community will likely have reputational consequences that may
affect customer acceptance and therefore revenues.
Not applicable.
- Not applicable.