In advance of LuxFlag’s Sustainable Investment Week (LSIW24), which will take place on October 22 and 23, CEO Isabelle Delas discusses the hot topics and challenges in sustainable investing and what’s on the labeling agency’s agenda heading into 2025.
Now in its sixth edition, this year’s Sustainable Investment Week will cover a wide range of topics, from ESG and climate finance to regulatory issues and more.
“One of the key focal points is regulatory developments, particularly around the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and the EU Green Bond Regulation,” CEO Isabelle Delas told Investment Officer in a recent interview. Some of the sessions will explore these frameworks and aim to guide attendees in navigating such challenges.
Meanwhile, Delas added that the “S” pillar of “ESG”—social impact—will also be highlighted. The CEO noted “pressing societal challenges such as inequality,” and sessions will focus on problem-solving approaches. Additionally, greenwashing remains “a significant challenge, and several sessions will address how to improve transparency and avoid misleading claims.”
Challenges in sustainable investing
Keeping up with the increasingly complex regulatory environment can be a challenge for any organization, and continuous adaptation is key—even for the labeling agency.
“At LuxFlag, we have proactively addressed this challenge by expanding our label offerings and regularly updating our eligibility criteria in response to new regulatory developments,” Delas explained. “For example, after the implementation of the SFDR, we aligned our requirements with Article 8 and Article 9, ensuring that our labels reflect the highest levels of transparency and integrity in sustainable investments.”
In Q3 2024, LuxFlag announced 12 new investment products that were allowed to use its label, bringing the total to 264 labeled investment, insurance products, and discretionary mandates, amounting to 132.183 billion euro’s AUM. Investors use the internationally recognized labels to determine the quality of sustainable investment products.
Although Delas cited a “slight decline” in the number of labels issued, she added that several factors contributed to this, ranging from regulatory shifts to market dynamics and changing investor preferences, with some funds simply deciding not to reapply for a label. “Rejections during the application process are also a factor, as LuxFlag has tightened its elegibility criteria to ensure that only the highest-quality financial products can carry our label,” she added. “While this might result in fewer labels being issued, it also strengthens the credibility and transparency that are critical to sustainable finance.”
Plans heading into 2025
LuxFlag is currently developing a new social impact label, which Delas anticipates will launch in Q1 2025. The label will focus on three main themes: “decent work, adequate living standards and wellbeing for end-users and inclusive and sustainable communities and societies”.
Meanwhile, the labeling agency also plans to expand its “Knowledge Sharing” pillar. Delas noted there’s still a “considerable gap in investor education. Many investors still harbor misconceptions about the risks and returns associated with sustainable finance.”
It’s a gap that LuxFlag has been actively trying to bridge and will continue to address in the year ahead. “In 2025, we aim to introduce a training catalogue designed to offer tailor-made courses only for our members,” Delas explained. “These courses will focus on impact and sustainable finance, aiming to address the knowledge gap mentioned earlier by enhancing awareness and understanding of impact and sustainable finance’s risks, opportunities, and benefits with a practical lens.”
LSIW24 registration
The two-day LSIW24 event is free of charge and open to the public, but early registration is recommended, as spaces are limited.