Support & services

Black Sun is a global stakeholder communications agency, with offices in London and Singapore.

We help businesses to communicate authentically how they deliver value to their stakeholders. We believe that inspiring strategic communications can spark positive change and drive long-term, sustainable performance. 

We are powered by a unique mix of strategic insight, creative inspiration, and technology advantage, and are united by a common purpose: making businesses more valued in the eyes of their stakeholders.

Sustainable investor relations services

The advisory and insight team bring investor engagement, ESG subject-matter expertise and storytelling to assist you develop quality content and strategic thinking to land with your stakeholders.

• Corporate reporting advisory
  Annual Report advisory including strategic communications advice and regulatory and best practice guidance
• ‘Core and more’ reporting suite advisory and specialist impact reporting (e.g. ESG) advisory work, including key frameworks including SASB, TCFD etc.
• Sustainability communications
  Research and insights to appraise existing materials including content audits, peer assessment, and gap analysis including key theme identification
• Designing and delivering sustainability communications, planning executions and measuring resulting impact
• Positioning, including messaging hierarchy, value drivers, channel deployment advice and narrative development

Sustainability report editorial guidelines and development of supplementary disclosure formats data books/factsheets

ESG/Sustainability advisory

• Desktop peer and competitor reviews and gap analysis preparation. ESG raters and investor framework gap analysis landscape exploration
• ESG policy and strategy development and articulation including creating (e.g. using workshops)
• Sustainable Development Goal reviews and assessment and reporting
• Deep dive on climate reporting and disclosure (e.g. TCFD support) and subject matter expertise across the sustainability spectrum of issues and risks
• Materiality assessments – desktop reviews including company documents, internal and external stakeholder surveys to validate and rank issues identified, followed by prioritisation; Follow-up interviews/focus groups to validate prioritised issues in advance of finalising the most material issues, impacts and risks

Our Theory of Change

In this decisive decade, the need to shift to an inclusive, net zero economy could not be more urgent or important. This requires collective effort by business, government, civil society and citizens. To turn this vision into reality, BSR works to mainstream sustainable business practices in the global economy by promoting business transformation and powerful collaborations that take progress to scale. The role of business is to create and deliver products and services in a way that treats people fairly, meets peoples’ needs and aspirations within the boundaries of our planet, and encourages market and policy frameworks that enable a sustainable future. BSR’s role is to provide insights which help business leaders see a changing world more clearly, advice to create long-term strategic value, and collaborations that scale impact.

Carlow Consulting, LLC provides companies with the tools to successfully navigate between investor expectations, ESG, risk management and company reporting demands. We provide guidance and policy development on ESG frameworks and diversity for Boards and investors. We also work with companies and investors to support effective engagement.

Sustainable investor relations services

Carlow Consulting, LLC provides a spectrum of services to companies, starting with recommendations for creating an ESG program. As a company begins to consider establishing a program, we help them evaluate the commitment by the Board of Directors and C-Suite Officers, develop corporate policies and guidelines to support the ESG program, review investor, employee or customer sentiments for sustainable business practices, and provide tools to address stakeholder feedback. We  help companies develop their sustainability reporting and disclosures, tailored to their business model and industry.

We provide assistance with tailoring ESG measures to their company and development of their sustainability disclosure reporting under the relevant reporting standards. We help them interpret the rankings and ratings from service providers and take into account investors’ views on sustainability.

We are committed to helping solve the world’s sustainability challenges and delivering transformative change in the social and environmental performance of key industry sectors. Our work falls into three broad areas: (a) responsible investment policy, strategy and implementation, (b) benchmarks and multi-stakeholder processes, (c) corporate sustainability.

Sustainable investor relations services

We work with asset owners, asset managers and service providers to support the development and implementation of responsible investment strategies. This encompasses support and advice relating to: investment beliefs, responsible investment and stewardship policies, organisational structure (roles and responsibilities), ESG integration, active ownership, voting, performance, and impact measurement and reporting.

We work with companies to support the development and implementation of their sustainability strategies. This includes support and advice relating to: impact objective setting, sustainability policies, sustainability strategy and reporting.

In relation to sustainable investor relations services, we support companies and investors with understanding the needs and interests of their stakeholders, helping them to effectively communicate and build support for their sustainability-related strategies and processes. This includes stakeholder mapping and engagement, surveys, reporting (e.g., corporate sustainability, stewardship, responsible investment, net zero) and market research and analysis.

cometis AG is a leading IR & ESG specialist consultancy in Germany. With over 20 years of know-how in capital market communications, we constantly set new standards in Investor Relations, with competent local contacts in all relevant financial markets in Europe and beyond. Relying on a broad skillset in both financial and non-financial communication approaches, we support our clients in reaching their ambitious IR goals.

Sustainable investor relations services

• ESG Strategy: Aside from client-tailored ESG Workshops we offer individual ESG strategy consultancy services to provide clients with a clear-cut roadmap on how to get their ESG efforts kick-started.
• ESG (Rating) Advisory: What to report on? With our ESG Rating & Peergroup analysis clients get a clearer picture on what ESG data they should collect and provide – and how to do it in the most efficient way possible, including support in ESG project management.
• ESG Analysis: What do your stakeholders want? We analyze this, among other things, by looking at investment guidelines and voting polices and by conducting a thorough ESG materiality analysis with direct stakeholder involvement.
• ESG Reporting: Once all relevant data is collected, the growing demands by different stakeholders for a structured ESG have to be met. With 20 years of capital market reporting expertise, we are able to provide competent support for ESG reports, websites, presentations, factsheets and other relevant formats.
• ESG Investor Access: We help clients with the organization and preparation of ESG Roadshows to convince potential and existing investors of the company’s equity story in a direct exchange. We identify and approach potential ESG investors, organize the roadshows (virtually and in-person) and prepare clients for ESG-focused conference calls.

Curley Global IR, LLC (CGIR) ensures that public companies – and those about to go public – have the right Investor Relations (IR), Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG) and Corporate Governance frameworks in place, are targeting the right audiences, and are balancing appropriate risk mitigation.

Sustainable investor relations services

Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG)

• Management training regarding business case, investor-sensitivity analysis to assess shareholder profile risk, and investor trends focused on ESG issues (C-suite and Board level)

• Comprehensive materiality and gap assessment of existing ESG initiatives; outcome yields a robust set of CUSTOMIZED recommendations for each client regarding disclosure and potential new initiatives

• Creation / management of an in-house cross-functional committee, to serve as overseer and advance corporate initiatives

• Creation / management of audit control framework, including reporting structure and presentations to Board Committees, associated with Enterprise Risk Management assessments

• Advise on Social and Governance initiatives; access to thought leaders in Environmental sphere for specific expertise

• Completion of investor-, customer-, and supplier-driven surveys, working with internal teams

ERM is a leading global provider of environmental, health, safety, risk, social consulting services and sustainability related services. We work with the world's leading organizations, delivering innovative solutions and helping them to understand and manage their sustainability challenges. To do this, we have more than 5,500 people in over 40 countries and territories working out of more than 160 offices.

Sustainable investor relations services

ERM has a proven track record in working with clients across a wide range of industries to define and deliver corporate sustainability strategies, reports, and other stakeholder disclosures that drive business performance.

ERM collaborates closely with leading international organizations, such as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, US Business Council for Sustainable Development, and Global Reporting Initiative, to ensure we are helping clients follow the latest global developments and industry best practices. ERM is a GRI-certified training partner - true experts in applying the GRI Standards.

We work with clients to: define their material issues and corresponding metrics; design and implement information solutions to compile information efficiently and accurately; engage internal and external stakeholders; and develop written reports and websites with appropriate content to address key audiences and messaging.

We also help companies respond to other disclosures, including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, the Carbon Disclosure Project, and other investor and customer-specific requests. By optimizing the data collection and disclosure processes, we drive efficiency and minimize costs.

By partnering with ERM, reporting on sustainability performance becomes much more than a communications exercise. It becomes a powerful tool that helps organizations crystallize their sustainability strategy, mitigate risks, improve sustainability and operational performance, strengthen internal management systems, and enhance relationships with key stakeholders.

We are a straight talking PR agency helping our clients build a fairer, greener economy. We are a smart and passionate team with lifetimes of experience delivering communications strategies and campaigns related to ESG and sustainability.

Sustainable investor relations services

With a background in responsible investment and ESG integration our team has an inherent understanding of what investors and wider stakeholders are looking for in corporate sustainability-related communications.

We help companies to clearly express their own sustainability story, while ticking all the boxes required by ESG research providers and frameworks from GRI to TCFD (and the many abbreviations in between).

Fair Impact gives organisations insight into the consequences of their activities concerning environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues. Via research and conferences we connects investors and companies with the international capital market.  Integrity, transparency and trust are core values of Fair Impact.

Fair Impact has an extensive international network of brokers, family offices, insurers, listed companies, non-governmental organisations, pension funds and private banking teams.

Sustainable investor relations services

Fair Impact organises 1-on-1, group discussions, round-tables and conferences between companies, investors and research providers including: ESG agencies, sell-side brokers and pension funds.

Creative ESG product design (asset managers, data providers), ESG Ratings deconstructions (corporates, consultants), ESG media and messaging without pretense (podcasting).

G&A Institute serves as a bridge between the corporate community and the financial services sector.  We help corporations in their sustainability journeys, from start for some to continued enhancement of efforts for others seeking to attain corporate sustainability leadership.  An important element of that is winning in the competition for capital

Sustainable investor relations services

Publicly-traded corporations have a public “ESG profile” whether they work at shaping that profile (and perceptions) on an active basis or not.  Our typical client recognizes that the public profile shapes perceptions, reputation, valuation, access to and cost of capital; makes impressions on their customer and prospect base; and serves as measure of management and culture of the enterprise if they are employees/or seeking a position with the company. A primary consideration for much of our work is the views of the public company held by asset owners, asset managers, financial analysts, investor coalitions, and other stakeholders.  We have a comprehensive suite of services that help companies shape and enhance the views held by investors regard the firm’s ESG profile.

Hindsight Consultancy was started in 2016 by James Hulse, a former trader and fund manager who set up the world’s first climate change hedge fund in 2007 and has since worked for NGOs including CDP, where he ran their Forests program and the Investor team. Clients include a leading credit ratings agency, asset managers and owners, companies and NGOs.

Sustainable investor relations services

With a background of working for financial institutions, Hindsight can help companies to understand what investors and banks actually want. We have worked with companies on their sustainability disclosure as well as looking strategically at where disclosure is heading and which investor initiatives are important. We can help companies sift through the myriad of disclosure frameworks and benchmarks to focus on key initiatives and ensure that companies are providing the right information in the best format.

InterAxS Global is an independent provider of industry and corporate access in ESG and Sustainable Investing.  We also arrange events across multiple sectors / themes and provide outsourcing opportunities to buy side, sell side and corporates.

Sustainable investor relations services

ESG roadshow origination and execution

Investor events on sustainability

Investor targeting 

IRO and Sustainability team strategy and communication planning 

JLC Investor Relations helps companies understand and strengthen their relationship with investors. We provide an expert, independent perspective as the “investor in the room”, drawing on the team’s wealth of experience across fund management, equity analysis, investor relations, corporate governance, stewardship, Board interaction and ESG analysis. We pride ourselves on being flexible and pragmatic; clients benefit from an entirely bespoke approach and deep, actionable insight.

Sustainable investor relations services

As former institutional investors we have decades of experience in discussions with companies and boards about material future influences on their business. This broad expertise, combined with over five years’ ESG analysis which originated on the buyside, is uniquely valuable and drives our approach as advisors today.

We help companies develop, benchmark and communicate their ESG metrics and performance to encourage more effective dialogue with investors. We have deep market understanding of what influences investors’ decision-making, including the role and methodology of ratings agencies.

We have undertaken over 100 buyside company specific ESG reviews exploring topics such as sustainability, environmental controls, board structure and tax policy. Most importantly we understand how ESG factors link into operational best practice, strategy and how it should be communicated in the investment case.

We offer a comprehensive range of services which are entirely bespoke and extremely practical in nature:

• Current status assessment – detailed review of ESG principles, disclosure, data points and overall approach
• Benchmarking vs peers and best practice
• Review of ratings agencies ESG scores to identify gaps, providing guidance on how to achieve a “fair” score
• Appraisal of key shareholders’ approach to ESG
• Specialist ESG Investor Perception studies
• Board education
• IPO preparation

Leaders Arena is an ESG-focused independent advisory firm that leverages 30+ years of direct ESG, Investor Relations and Corporate Governance experience. Based in the UK and the US, we help companies maximize the impact of their ESG-related initiatives. Our clients come to us seeking unbiased guidance and hands-on support. With highly customisable programmes, we deliver ongoing support that creates tangible value for our clients.

Sustainable investor relations services

Leaders Arena provides a full range of consultancy services, tactical support, ESG research and SRI perception studies which have been designed to empower companies to better communicate their sustainability story to the market. We look at ESG from an investor lens having worked with and for institutional investors: we know how ESG investors think and what they want.

Amidst growing investor expectations on companies, Leaders Arena guarantees unparalleled client focus in the corporate advisory space. We bring an independent, outside view to supplement company internal resources and knowledge allowing clients to maintain control of their own practices and communication strategy.

For us, every client is different and therefore we offer tailored solutions as opposed to ‘one-size-fits-all’ services. We care about our clients and provide holistic support to their needs. We have helped companies across sectors and supported hundreds of professionals responsible for ESG communications. Get in touch to learn how you can benefit from our unique support: support@leadersarena.global

Maitland/amo is Europe's leading financial, corporate & political communications consultancy providing trusted advice and strategic counsel. We have the depth of experience to provide you with trusted advice on any communication issue you might encounter and we provide company leaders and the heads of major organisations with the communications strategy they need to win over the investors and wider stakeholders that matter most to them.

Sustainable investor relations services

For nearly a decade at Maitland/amo, we have been providing strategic sustainability advice to businesses, governments, policymakers and non-profit organisations. Through the expertise of our dedicated practice, we help global organisations develop and communicate their sustainability strategy to all their critical audiences, especially investors.

Our offering is unique: we blend technical knowledge with strategic counsel to help organisations develop and communicate their sustainability and ESG strategies to all their critical audiences, especially investors.

As a trusted advisor, we believe it is vital that we uphold high sustainability standards. Our parent company Havas, is a certified B corporation and a founding agency of the Common Ground, a project led by the marketing and communications industry to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

How we help clients

We partner with companies to help them develop and communicate their ESG strategy and approach to their investors and wider stakeholders. Whether you are looking to explain your credentials to investors through reporting or raise your profile in the media on the action you have taken to date on ESG, we have a wealth of experience in advising how to address these challenges. By blending technical understanding with strategic communication advice, we help craft stories, engage media and manage reputations.

Our full range of services include:

• ESG strategy development and implementation
• Stakeholder and engagement communications
• Profile raising for ESG teams and media relations
• ESG reporting advice and review (e.g. GRI/TCFD/GRESB)
• Public affairs and select committee training
• Investor relations on ESG regulation and disclosure
• Internal sustainability communications and employee engagement
• Digital design and creative campaigns

A specialist investor research and engagement firm.

Our senior team has developed an innovative, technology-driven service that facilitates highly efficient direct engagement between investors and the companies that they are interested in. We help investors to communicate with companies, and companies to better understand the needs and interests of their investors.

By researching and analysing the views, priorities and interests of large numbers of key individuals, QuantiFire provides clear and actionable intelligence that helps our clients to exceed expectations.

Sustainable investor relations services

We integrate all of the critical information that an investor relations team needs, within a single, analytical framework. This generates clear intelligence that helps IR to provide a more efficient and effective service to investors.

Take your corporate transparency initiative to a whole new level and show the world what it means to have a stake in your company with our virtual tour platform. Quickly and cost effectively create an immersive virtual tour experience of the heart of your business, its people and its values, and seamlessly distribute the experience to your audience of stakeholders, potential investors and regulatory bodies.

Sustainable investor relations services

We put the power of virtual tour creation in the hands of site owners to facilitate low cost, high impact virtual site visits that can be shared from your website, from our app and over webinars and video conference software to 100's of participants at a time.

Our clients range from major diversified miners and large caps, such as Anglo American and Barrick, to micro-caps, private companies, consultants and buy-side. Reality Check: providing the industry with the tools to build trust through transparency. Proud to be partnered with the London Stock Exchange since 2018

Solebury Trout provides investor relations, ESG advisory, corporate communications and market access to private and public companies across industry sectors.

With more than 1,000 strategic client engagements to date, Solebury has the senior experience it takes to help clients maximize shareholder value at every stage of their development, navigate the competitive landscape, differentiate their value proposition and forge a dialogue with investors and the media.

Sustainable investor relations service

The opportunity for companies of all types and stages to leverage ESG in fundraising and IR has never been greater. Additionally, management teams and boards are under increasing pressure to meet the growing expectations of institutional investors on ESG. Solebury Trout’s experience and approach enables executives to understand the ESG landscape, builds their competence and fluency, and creates winning strategies.

ESG Education & Coaching for CxOs, IROs & Boards: Training sessions and materials for executives that build the necessary competence and confidence to engage in proactive ESG communication and investor engagement, be prepared with both key talking points and answers to FAQs.

Shareholder Base Review & Targeting: Identify the ESG priorities of the organizations and funds that are or could be invested in a company; determine targets that are tailored to company characteristics; and partner to organize and deliver content through “normal” and ESG-specific investor meetings, calls, NDRs, and events.

Management of ESG Ratings and Index/Fund Inclusion: Advising management teams on the top and prioritized ESG issues that could be both improve their ESG ratings that drive inclusion into passive funds, and which can be clearly tied to the bottom line.

Disclosure Strategies and Tactics: Leveraging SASB/TCFD and ESG rating frameworks to disclose ESG information via websites and SEC disclosures such as 10-Ks, Proxy Statements, and IPO/SPAC filings.

Sustainable Financing Opportunities: Green/Sustainable bond and financing frameworks aligned with the ICMA Green Bond Principals, obtaining second party opinions, and supporting investor communications materials and activities.

SquareWell Partners is an advisory firm supporting publicly-listed companies to engage with their shareholders on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) topics. SquareWell monitors investors’ behaviour with the aim of providing investor-focused advice, grounded in precedents and facts, to help companies prioritize their ESG efforts vis-à-vis the expectations/preferences of their shareholders as well as key research and ratings firms.

Sustainable investor relations services

Sustainable investor relations services provided by SquareWell include:

• Detailed analysis of a company’s ESG practices. SquareWell evaluates the company’s ESG practices against a set of material ESG factors based on the expectations of large institutional investors. SquareWell’s analysis helps companies to identify their ESG strengths and weaknesses, benchmarking their performance against investors’ expectations and preferences.
• Definition of a company’s ESG message to investors. Based on a deep knowledge of investors’ expectations with respect to specific ESG topics, SquareWell helps companies tailor their ESG messaging to the preferences of each single investor. SquareWell’s advice helps companies anticipate investors’ concerns and highlight their ESG strengths.
• Prioritization of a company’s ESG engagement. SquareWell assists companies in the prioritisation of ESG-related engagement activities with the company’s investors, taking into account the company’s ESG performance and the expectations and preferences of its top investors. SquareWell also helps companies in identifying who are the key engagement and ESG professionals with whom they should engage with at each investor.
• Addressing ESG resolutions at general meetings. SquareWell helps companies in defending against ESG resolutions put forward at their shareholder meetings, providing intelligence on their top investors’ sensitivity to each proposal type. SquareWell also helps companies to engage with the influencers, whether it be research providers, investor-led initiatives, non-profit organizations, etc.

SRI-CONNECT is the online research and communications network for the sustainable investment industry.  It has >6,500 members (including >850 from listed companies) is free to join and is open to those with professional exposure to the sustainable investment value chain - including IROs and senior CSR managers.

Sustainable investor relations services

Many of SRI-CONNECT's sustainable investor relations services are free - see here for SRI-CONNECT's services for companies.

The network's position as the central research and communications hub for sustainable investment enables us to support companies with investor and analyst targeting and with the organisation of sustainability results webinars and roadshows.

Likewise the network's position as the hub for industry research enables us to understand the issues of primary interest to investors and analysts - thereby enabling us to help companies develop and position their sustainability messaging for investors.