June 28, 2023

Deliberate decarbonisation: Measuring transition intent with TPI MQ scores

Management measures adopted by companies to reduce emissions can take several years before producing real world reductions. Investors, therefore, need a way to measure the quality of climate transition commitments and management to complement emissions-based metrics.

What our research means for investors

We examine the relationship between the Management Quality (MQ) scores of the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI) among FTSE All-World Index constituents and annualised changes in their scope 1 and 2 carbon intensity and absolute emissions. Our analysis demonstrates that, all else equal, companies with high TPI MQ scores:

  • are more likely to reduce their emissions
  • deliver larger emissions reductions than those with low TPI MQ scores

This shows that the TPI MQ scores provide a gauge of management’s decarbonisation intent, which is a valuable signal for future decarbonisation. This makes the scores a useful tool for investors to identify companies that may not yet be delivering emissions reductions, but that are well positioned to do so in the future.

Points of differentiation:

  • The MQ scores of the TPI are based on a transparent and robust assessment methodology that can serve as a data-led input into the dialogue between investors and management on transition strategies.
  • Data for nearly 600 companies is currently available free-of-charge on the TPI website for a wide set of use cases. In addition, FTSE Russell calculates TPI MQ scores for more than 7000 companies, covering 89% of constituents in the FTSE All-World Index and over 94% of the index’s market capitalisation by the end of 2022.
  • With more than 130 investors having pledged their support for the TPI globally, representing over $50 trillion in combined assets under management and advice, the TPI MQ scores are now among the most used tools for assessing climate transition management among the investor community.

Research and Insights