Bérénice Lasfargues has been instrumental in developing a sustainability and impact scoring methodology at BNP Paribas Asset Management (BNPP AM), according to her colleagues.
As BNPP AM sustainability integration lead, Lasfargues works on the firm's environmental, social and governance (ESG) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) data platforms and related implementation across BNPP AM's investment teams.
She also leads the firm's approach to the SDGs and impact investing.
According to her colleagues within the asset manager's sustainability team, Lasfargues has been key to the development of the latest iteration of the firm-wide proprietary ESG scoring methodology and the implementation of BNPP AM's ESG integration guidelines across asset classes – in collaboration with BNPP AM's sustainability centre, Quant Research Group and investment teams.
Since 2019, BNPP AM has expanded its proprietary ESG research from 3,000 issuers to over 13,000, and these scores underpin the firm's approach to ESG integration.
Most recently, Lasfargues has been leading BNPP AM's efforts in developing 'SDGs Fundamentals', a dataset solution resulting from the collaboration of BNPP AM and Danish fintech firm, Matter.
Covering more than 50,000 issuers, SDG Fundamentals seeks to provide investors with a framework to understand the extent of the alignment of a company's revenue streams with individual SDGs and targets, as well as across multiple SDGs and targets.
The SDG dataset is part of BNPP AM's push towards increased data breadth, quality, and standards, through industry collaboration, the asset manager says.
The dataset also plays an important role in how BNPP AM understands what qualifies as a 'sustainable investment' under the EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).
"The changing regulatory environment is placing increasing importance on ESG data, and Bérenice has been instrumental in guiding the firm's ESG data platform and optimal flow of ESG data through the company," said Jane Ambachtsheer, global head of sustainability at BNPP AM.
Lasfargues also drives the ongoing development and implementation of the firm's impact investment framework, leading BNPP AM's impact working group.
As part of this group, Lasfargues coordinates BNPP AM's relationship with the secretariat of the Impact Principles, which BNPP AM became a founding signatory of under her helm.
"Berenice has been instrumental in driving implementation and innovation around ESG integration, SDG measurement and impact investing within BNPP AM and across the industry," added Alex Bernhardt, global head of sustainability research at BNPP AM.
Prior to joining BNPP AM's Sustainability Centre in 2019, Lasfargues worked at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), undertaking economic research on green and blended finance.
Before this, she was a legislative fellow in the US House of Representatives and conducted fieldwork on climate change and development in emerging markets.
"BNPP AM would not have achieved these key milestones without Berenice's leadership on these topics. She is clearly a rising star, and we look forward to the continued leadership she will bring to our clients and across the industry," said Bernhardt.
