Two of IR Magazine’s journalists have been recognized for their work reporting on ESG issues in the capital markets at this year’s Aviva Investors Sustainability Media Awards, held this week in London.
Noemi Distefano, who served as a reporter at IR Magazine for two years, picked up the award for policy and regulation article of the year for her feature titled ‘CSRD & ESRS compliance: Challenges, strategies and global impact’.
The article delved into the implications of the then-upcoming EU regulation for corporate reporters, focusing on the concept of double materiality in financial disclosures.
The Aviva Investors judges said: ‘Our winning article provided actionable insights on integrating [CSRD] into corporate strategies. Published ahead of EFRAG's implementation guidance, when clarification was urgently needed, it featured valuable perspectives from internal stakeholders at EY, British American Tobacco and Royal Philips.
‘The piece excelled in exploring how enhanced reporting could drive competitive advantages, with particular attention to double materiality.’
Garnet Roach was also recognized as ‘highly commended’ in the social article of the year category for her piece titled ‘Back to the basics of capitalism: Texas talks ESG-skeptic voting as politics weighs on IROs’.
In it, she explored the early warning signs of a growing wave of anti-ESG sentiment among investors, with IR Magazine research showing that a third of North American IROs cited political action as the main driver of the trend among their shareholder bases.
The judges said: ‘This year’s highly commended piece offers a comprehensive exploration of the anti-ESG agenda from diverse perspectives, including interviews with architects of ISS's 'ESG skeptic' voting policy and Texas Permanent School Fund representatives.
‘The reporter enhanced the analysis with original polling and enriched the discussion by incorporating varied voices, including PETA representatives, to illuminate the complex motivations and implications at play.’
Roach previously won the award for policy & regulation article of the year at last year's Aviva Investors Sustainability Media Awards.
All entries were judged by a panel of experts led by Steve Waygood, chief responsible investment officer at Aviva Investors. Steve was supported by respected industry figures, comprising of:
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James Alexander, chief executive officer, UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association
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Rhian-Mari Thomas, chief executive, Green Finance Institute
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Rose Easton, chief RI ecosystems officer for the UK, Europe and IMEA, Principles for Responsible Investment.
Roach has been a key part of IR Magazine’s editorial staff since October 2012, working on both the editorial and research sides of the publication. Prior to entering the world of investor relations, her freelance career covered a broad range of subjects, from technology to politics and consumer finance, and even involved a stint as a reporter and editor in Sana’a, Yemen.
Distefano, meanwhile, joined IR Magazine in October 2022 as a reporter and became known quickly as both the host of the IR Voice podcast and IR TV, while her reporting often focused on emerging ESG issues. Prior to that, she worked at Newtrade Media, Shepherd Media and STV. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Edinburgh Napier University.
Laurie Havelock
Laurie has been part of the IR Magazine team for more than a decade, starting out as a reporter and research editor before becoming editor in 2023. He was previously acting business editor at the i newspaper and deputy business editor at The Daily...
