FTSE Russell, an index company under the London Stock Exchange Group, received inquiries from customers. Customers wanted to know if they needed to reduce their holdings in the lucrative technology sector due to environmental, social, and governance-related impacts brought about by the technology industry's artificial intelligence development goals. This is part of a big trend in the industry. Sustainability Index and rating agencies continue to receive questions from investors. Investors are concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence on various aspects such as energy consumption and water consumption, and how it will change the rating face of companies that have long been regarded as ESG benchmarks. Lee Clements, head of applied sustainable investment research at FTSE Russell, said FTSE Russell customers are beginning to ask whether the climate footprint of hyperscale cloud service providers will automatically reduce their weight in the sustainability index. About $330 billion in passive funds track the FTSE Russell Sustainability Index, and the total assets that use this type of index as a benchmark for performance may be even higher. FTSE Russell said that the sustainable development risks faced by technology companies will be assessed on a case-by-case basis at this stage. Clements mentioned that if necessary, the index agency “will gradually adjust the weight between different technology companies” to reflect related risks. FTSE Russell did not name specific companies.

FTSE Russell, an index company under the London Stock Exchange Group, received inquiries from customers. Customers wanted to know if they needed to reduce their holdings in the lucrative technology sector due to environmental, social, and governance-related impacts brought about by the technology industry's artificial intelligence development goals. This is part of a big trend in the industry. Sustainability Index and rating agencies continue to receive questions from investors. Investors are concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence on various aspects such as energy consumption and water consumption, and how it will change the rating face of companies that have long been regarded as ESG benchmarks. Lee Clements, head of applied sustainable investment research at FTSE Russell, said FTSE Russell customers are beginning to ask whether the climate footprint of hyperscale cloud service providers will automatically reduce their weight in the sustainability index. About $330 billion in passive funds track the FTSE Russell Sustainability Index, and the total assets that use this type of index as a benchmark for performance may be even higher. FTSE Russell said that the sustainable development risks faced by technology companies will be assessed on a case-by-case basis at this stage. Clements mentioned that if necessary, the index agency “will gradually adjust the weight between different technology companies” to reflect related risks. FTSE Russell did not name specific companies.