We have expanded the list of climate policies we assess company engagement with to incorporate land-use related policy, referring to legislative or regulatory measures to enhance and protect ecosystems and land where carbon is being stored. Assessments under this category are currently underweighted in terms of their contribution to the overall company metrics. This weighting will be progressively increased over the next 6 months.
We adjusted the terminology used to describe the queries running down the left-hand side of our scoring matrix and added additional explanatory text to the info-boxes. This has no impact on the scores and methodology. It has been done following user feedback to improve clarity.
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC is a member of UK Finance
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
David Best is on the board of UK Finance
David Best (Managing Director and Deputy Chief Operating Officer for EMEA)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC is a member of UK Finance
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
David Best is on the board of UK Finance
David Best (Managing Director and Deputy Chief Operating Officer for EMEA)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Davide Menini is on the AFME board
Davide Menini (Managing Director, Global Head of Fixed Income Structuring and Structured Notes Trading, Fixed Income Division)
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Davide Menini is on the AFME board
Davide Menini (Managing Director, Global Head of Fixed Income Structuring and Structured Notes Trading, Fixed Income Division)
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Edward (Ted) Pick is on the board of the IIF as of July 2022
Edward (Ted) Pick, Co-President & Head of Institutional Securities Group, Morgan Stanley
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of the IIF
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Edward (Ted) Pick is on the board of the IIF as of July 2022
Edward (Ted) Pick, Co-President & Head of Institutional Securities Group, Morgan Stanley
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of the IIF
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
As of August 2022, Morgan Stanley is on the board of the MFA
Penny Novick (Global Co-Head, Prime Brokerage)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a strategic partner of the MFA
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
As of August 2022, Morgan Stanley is on the board of the MFA
Penny Novick (Global Co-Head, Prime Brokerage)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a strategic partner of the MFA
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of SIFMA
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Andy Saperstein is on the board of SIFMA.
Andy Saperstein (Co-President of Morgan Stanley and Head of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of SIFMA
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Andy Saperstein is on the board of SIFMA.
Andy Saperstein (Co-President of Morgan Stanley and Head of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Samuel Brandwein is a member of the ARA board of directors, with a term ending December 2023)
Samuel Brandwein (Senior Vice President and 401k Consulting Director, Morgan Stanley)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Samuel Brandwein is a member of the ARA board of directors, with a term ending December 2023)
Samuel Brandwein (Senior Vice President and 401k Consulting Director, Morgan Stanley)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of ICI
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Thomas Faust Jr. is on the Board of ICI
Thomas E. Faust Jr. (Chairman, Morgan Stanley Investment Management)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of ICI
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Thomas Faust Jr. is on the Board of ICI
Thomas E. Faust Jr. (Chairman, Morgan Stanley Investment Management)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
As of October 2022, James Gorman is a member of the Financial Services Forum.
James Gorman (Chairman and CEO, Morgan Stanley)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
As of October 2022, James Gorman is a member of the Financial Services Forum.
James Gorman (Chairman and CEO, Morgan Stanley)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Alberto Tamura is on the board of the Chamber's US-Japan Business Council.
Alberto Tamura (President & CEO, Morgan Stanley Japan Holdings Co., Ltd)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of the Chamber's US-Turkey Business Council.
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Clare Woodman is the Chair of the Chamber's US-UK Business Council.
Clare Woodman (Head of EMEA and CEO of Morgan Stanley and Co. International Plc)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Alberto Tamura is on the board of the Chamber's US-Japan Business Council.
Alberto Tamura (President & CEO, Morgan Stanley Japan Holdings Co., Ltd)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of the Chamber's US-Turkey Business Council.
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Clare Woodman is the Chair of the Chamber's US-UK Business Council.
Clare Woodman (Head of EMEA and CEO of Morgan Stanley and Co. International Plc)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Morgan Stanley Investment Partners are members of the Investment Association which is a national association member of the EFAMA
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Morgan Stanley Investment Partners are members of the Investment Association which is a national association member of the EFAMA
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
As of November 2022, Morgan Stanley is a member of UK Finance which is a national member association of the EBF
not specified
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
As of November 2022, Morgan Stanley is a member of UK Finance which is a national member association of the EBF
not specified
--no extract--
In this section, we depict graphically the relationships the corporation has with trade associations, federations, advocacy groups and other third parties who may be acting on their behalf to influence climate change policy. Each of the columns above represents one relationship the corporation appears to have with such a third party. In these columns, the top, dark section represents the strength of the relationship the corporation has with the influencer. For example if a corporation's senior executive also held a key role in the trade association, we would deem this to be a strong relationship and it would be on the far left of the chart above, with the weaker ones to the right. Click on these grey shaded upper sections for details of these relationships. The middle section contains a link to the organization score details of the influencer concerned, so you can see the details of its climate change policy influence. Click on the middle sections for for details of the trade associations. The lower section contains the organization score of that influencer, the lower the more negatively it is influencing climate policy.
Open PDF file of Data Source
Sustainable Finance Lobbying Overview: Morgan Stanley appears to have had moderate engagement on sustainable finance policy, with some broadly positive engagement coming from its asset management subsidiary Calvert Research and Management.
Top-Line Messaging on Sustainable Finance Policy: Morgan Stanley has recognized the issue of short-termism but it is unclear whether it supports systemic reforms to address this. Morgan Stanley has stated support for action to keep global temperature rise to 1.5C and advocated for a role for finance in delivering the goals of the Paris Agreement. In testimony to the Senate Banking Committee in 2021, CEO James Gorman recognized the “urgent need to address the climate challenge.” Reports across Morgan Stanley’s website describe ongoing sustainable finance regulation but it is often unclear whether Morgan Stanley supports this regulation.
Position on Regulated Corporate ESG Disclosure: In 2021, Morgan Stanley Investment Management signed onto a statement of support for the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), advocating for policymakers to increase the ambition of regulated corporate ESG disclosure. However, a September 2022 memo regarding a meeting between banks and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) suggests that Morgan Stanley does not support aspects of the SEC’s proposed climate disclosure rule, outlining concerns with implementation and cost. Calvert Research and Management has also engaged on the SEC’s climate rule, supporting the proposal including its financial statement and Scope 3 disclosure requirements. Calvert took a more mixed position on the International Sustainability Standards Board’s proposed climate disclosure standards, not supporting mandatory scenario analysis disclosure.
Position on Taxonomies and ESG Standards/Labels/Benchmarks: While Morgan Stanley has taken a somewhat unclear position on the EU Taxonomy on its corporate website, a 2020 case study and a 2021 news article suggest support for the Taxonomy. In the same 2021 news article, Morgan Stanley appears to support the EU Green Bond Standard. In comments to the SEC in 2022, Calvert Research and Management stated support for the Commission’s efforts to classify ESG-related funds but did not support an extension of the Commission’s ‘Names Rule’ and its 80% investment policy to ESG-related funds.
Position on Incorporating ESG Factors Into Investor Duties: In 2022, Calvert Research and Management took a mixed position on the SEC’s proposal to enhance disclosures by investors about their ESG investment practices, supporting qualitative disclosure about a fund’s approach to proxy voting and engagement but asserting that quantitative reporting should be voluntary, and advocating for Scope 3 disclosure requirements to be delayed.
Position on Incorporating ESG Factors Into Risk Management/Prudential Regulation: In a 2021 insights article Morgan Stanley appeared to support efforts to incorporate climate into central banks’ operational frameworks, and in its 2021 CDP response Morgan Stanley stated support for the UK Prudential Regulation Authority’s efforts to incorporate climate risks into banks’ and insurers’ governance and risk management.
Industry Association Governance: Morgan Stanley has disclosed memberships to some US trade associations but has not given a comprehensive disclosure on the sustainable finance policy positions of these organizations or actions taken to address misalignments. Memberships to, for example, EU trade associations are not disclosed.