New environmental rankings

A UK-based research body, the Environmental Investment Organisation (EIO), has unveiled its Environmental Tracking (ET) Index Series, which aims to help businesses drive down emissions and tackle climate change.

EIO describes the index as a hybrid between traditional Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) indexes and mainstream index models, such as the UK FTSE 100.

Unlike traditional SRI indexes, where only the “best in class” are included, the ET index also applies an environmental scoring method, supporting the share prices of companies with the lowest greenhouse-gas emission intensities and greatest levels of transparency, while penalising those with the highest emissions and lowest levels of disclosure.

EIO hopes the additional scrutiny will encourage large emitters to take action to reduce their carbon emissions.