SESAMm Wins Best Data Provider, Alternative Data Sources

Today, it's important to understand the complexities of supply chain regulations. This was the main topic of a recent SESAMm webinar, “Understanding Supply Chain Regulations: The Future Implications of CSDDD”, which explored the implications of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and other important regulatory frameworks that affect global supply chains.

The webinar, led by SESAMm's CEO, Sylvain Forte, and ESG analyst Maha Chihaoui, explored the evolving landscape of ESG frameworks, laws, and regulations that influence supply chain operations. As businesses strive to enhance transparency, accountability, and ethical practices, they face a multitude of challenges and opportunities. The session highlighted how these initiatives could lead to substantial benefits such as environmental conservation, improved social conditions, and strengthened governance structures.

During the webinar, Maha Chihaoui emphasized the shift from non-binding guidelines to binding laws in the regulatory spectrum, signaling a more robust approach to enforcing corporate accountability and responsibility. Sylvain Forte also discussed the importance of moving beyond mere compliance to ensure genuine adherence to ESG principles, advocating for a systematic and continuous evaluation process to ensure businesses act on their promises.

The session also touched on real-life applications and challenges in implementing these frameworks. For example, the discussion included case studies on companies like Shein and Temu, highlighting how regulatory focus on supply chain controversies has increased visibility and accountability.

As regulatory frameworks around supply chains continue to evolve, the dialogue between various stakeholders—regulators, businesses, and the public—becomes crucial. SESAMm's webinar effectively shed light on these critical issues, offering insights and fostering a deeper understanding of the dynamic relationship between ESG initiatives and supply chain management.

Watch the webinar replay now:

Unlock a deeper understanding of supply chain regulations' complexities and future implications.

Download the "Understanding Supply Chain Regulations: The Future Implications of CSDDD" ebook and equip your organization with the insights needed to enhance your ESG practices for a sustainable future. Fill out the form below to access your copy and lead the way in corporate sustainability.

SESAMm is delighted to announce the addition of Emmanuel de La Ville, a renowned ESG expert, to our advisory board. Emmanuel’s extensive experience in ESG research and sustainable finance will undoubtedly bring invaluable insights and strategic direction to SESAMm as we continue to innovate and expand our AI-powered text analysis tools.

Background

Emmanuel de La Ville has dedicated the past two decades to advancing ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards in the finance industry. As the founder, ex-CEO, and senior advisor of EthiFinance, Emmanuel spearheaded the creation and development of an independent ESG rating agency in Paris, known for its specialization in the small and midcap segment. Under his leadership, EthiFinance became a well-respected European organization, conducting over 2,000 assessments annually.

Founding EthiFinance

In 2004, driven by a vision to transform the finance industry, Emmanuel founded EthiFinance. The agency focuses on evaluating companies based on their Corporate Sustainability performance. Beyond his track record in promoting ESG accountability towards listed companies Emmanuel’s innovative approach included developing a robust ESG research methodology and conducting due diligence for companies owned by private equity firms.

Views on SESAMm and the Applications of AI to ESG

In a recent interview, Emmanuel expressed his enthusiasm for joining SESAMm and highlighted the company’s commitment to leveraging AI technology to enhance ESG insights and drive responsible investment. Emmanuel believes that SESAMm’s innovative text analysis tools can play a crucial role in identifying and mitigating ESG risks, thereby promoting more sustainable business practices.

"SESAMm’s AI-powered tools are essential for analyzing vast amounts of data and uncovering hidden ESG risks and opportunities," Emmanuel stated. "This technology allows a more comprehensive understanding of a company’s performance beyond traditional financial metrics. It’s about creating value not just for shareholders but for all stakeholders."

Purpose-Driven Career in ESG and Ethical Practices

A deep sense of purpose has driven Emmanuel’s dedication to ethical practices and sustainability throughout his career. His journey from traditional finance to founding EthiFinance was motivated by a desire to align business practices with ethical values. Emmanuel’s belief in transparency, fairness, and the long-term well-being of all stakeholders has been a guiding principle in his work.

"Ethical behavior and sustainable practices have always been at the heart of my career," Emmanuel remarked. "I left the corporate world because I couldn’t see the sense in contributing to short-term profit maximization at the expense of broader societal and environmental well-being. Founding EthiFinance was about creating an approach to measure and promote responsible business practices."

The Future of ESG

Looking ahead, Emmanuel is optimistic about the future of ESG and the role of AI in shaping it. He foresees a growing demand for transparency and accountability in corporate behavior, driven by regulatory pressures and investor expectations. Emmanuel is particularly excited about the potential of AI to enhance ESG data quality and accessibility, enabling more informed decision-making.

Emmanuel de La Ville’s addition to SESAMm’s advisory board marks a significant milestone in our journey towards integrating AI with ESG analysis. His expertise and passion for ethical business practices will undoubtedly strengthen our mission to provide cutting-edge solutions for responsible investing. We are thrilled to welcome Emmanuel and look forward to the invaluable contributions he will bring to SESAMm.

"We are thrilled to welcome Emmanuel de La Ville to our advisory board. His profound expertise in ESG and unwavering commitment to ethical practices align perfectly with SESAMm's mission to provide advanced, responsible AI-driven solutions. Emmanuel's insights will be instrumental in guiding our efforts to enhance ESG analysis and promote sustainable investment practices." said Sylvain Forté, SESAMm's CEO & Co-founder

For more information about SESAMm’s AI-powered ESG insights and our latest developments, please visit our website.

Reach out to SESAMm

TextReveal’s web data analysis of over five million public and private companies is essential for keeping tabs on ESG investment risks. To learn more about how you can analyze web data or to request a demo, reach out to one of our representatives.

The chemicals industry, often perceived as the backbone of modern economies, is undergoing a notable shift. With the world's focus now fixed on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, this sector finds itself at the crossroads of risk and opportunity. In this “ESG Data Trends,” we dive deeper into the chemicals’ market ESG performance, studying the example of Ineos.

The chemicals industry: riding the ESG wave

Post-2020, the chemical market has seen an increase in web mentions. Several factors—from gas shortages rattling this energy-intensive market to escalating environmental concerns—have ushered in a new era of sustainability discussions. But which chemicals are stealing the limelight?
Chlorine, Ammonia, and Base Chemicals like Ethylene and Propylene account for over half of the chemical web mentions. And it's not just about their volume. The narrative is changing too. The industry is leaning towards eco-conscious production, championing innovations like recycled propylene, Renewable-Benzene, and Green ammonia.

What's interesting about this is the emphasis on ESG initiatives over ESG risks. It's a clear signal that the industry is taking action toward sustainability and is making tangible strides. When looking at the industry’s ESG risks mentions, we found that Arkema has the highest percentage of ESG Risks driven mainly by environmental incidents and impact on biodiversity due to a chemical plant explosion in 2017, followed by UOP LLC, which displays the highest proportion of Social related risks as a consequence of layoffs.

Conversely, across the industry, the volume of ESG initiatives indicates a significant commitment to sustainable related practices. Environmental-related practices are the most mentioned initiatives in the chemicals industry; precisely, two pillars stand out in ESG initiatives: climate change reduction and circular economy strategies. LyondellBasell displays the highest percentage of ESG initiatives mentions due to its climate change reduction and circular economy strategies, where the company is working towards greenhouse gas reductions and advancing plastic waste recycling. Despite having the highest environmental risk mentions, Arkema has the highest social-related initiatives with corporate social responsibility.

Case study: Ineos

The TextReveal Dashboard detected another chemicals company with an increasing number of mentions, the British multinational Ineos. After the announcement of Ineos Grenadier's off-roader in 2020, the number of mentions more than doubled, increasing Ineos' overall volume. Later on, the company’s mentions have been relatively increasing after cooling down from the announcement, with a significant increase in 2022 following M&A and collaboration announcements, sustainability actions, and controversies around its CEO, Jim Ratcliffe.

We also detected a geographical shift in mentions. Once dominant in the US, Ineos mentions dropped from 65% in 2015 to roughly 30% in 2022. Europe, on the other hand, has seen a spike from 25% to over 65%. Sentiment analysis offers another layer of insight.

While the sentiment has largely remained steady, there have been dips, especially during periods associated with fracking controversies and environmental incidents, including a toxic chemical spill. Digging deeper into Ineos’ ESG risks, there has been a decrease over the recent years; nonetheless, before 2019, we captured a relatively higher number of risks, mainly environmental–related controversies, coming from mentions about overexploitation of resources, namely fracking. Social-related risks display a significant proportion of data driven by social dialogue controversies as we capture multiple mentions of protests, particularly in 2017.

While Ineos ESG risks mentions represent 2.46% of its overall data share, its ESG initiatives mentions represent 5.91% of its web presence, signaling a more positive outlook for the firm, at least from a perception point of view. Furthermore, we detected that environmental–related initiatives are the main focus for Ineos, particularly climate change, while social initiatives arise, particularly in 2018, due to product safety mentions.

Data sources

To produce this analysis, we combined natural language processing with billions of textual web data related to the chemicals market. Using NLP-powered models gives us an edge as we can extract ESG, SDG, and financial insights that aren’t necessarily obvious or easy to detect. These insights help investors make better investment decisions. SESAMm leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to help you decipher and understand timely sentiment, trends, and ESG metrics on a wide range of public and private companies.

Reach out to SESAMm

TextReveal's web data analysis of over five million public and private companies is essential for keeping tabs on ESG investment risks. To learn more about how you can analyze web data or request a demo, contact one of our representatives.