UK voting advisor Manifest teams up with Australia’s SIRIS

Manifest, the UK proxy advisory firm, has teamed up with Australia-based researcher SIRIS, the Sustainable Investment Research Institute.

“As Manifest continues its increase in global coverage, we are delighted to announce that from October 2011, Manifest has a branch office operating in Melbourne, Australia,” Manifest said.
The venture brings together SIRIS’ Asian regional environmental, social and governance (ESG) research capability with Manifest’s global offering.
SIRIS’s team in Melbourne will support the process with research, analysis, company dialogue and engagement and client support, Manifest added.Speaking to Responsible Investor recently, SIRIS Chairman Charles Macek said the firm was actively on the look out for alliances as the ESG data market was becoming increasingly commoditized.

SIRIS covers around 800 Asian stocks on ESG factors; its clients include fund managers such as Perpetual.

Both Manifest and SIRIS are signatories to the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment.
“We are also excited that, through this venture, we will be able to include ESG analysis into the governance research and voting recommendation process,” said SIRIS CEO Mark Bytheway. Manifest announcement