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Yu Ishihara

Yu Ishihara

Vice President, MSCI Research

Yu is primarily responsible for MSCI’s ESG research on the automobile industry. He previously spent several years as a buy-side analyst covering automobiles, consumer-staple and retail companies across the Asia-Pacific. Yu has also worked at various investment banks as an equity-derivatives trader based in Tokyo and Hong Kong. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Cornell University.

Research and Insights

Articles by Yu Ishihara

    Blastin’ E[sg]-Cigs and the EPA

    Podcast | Apr 28, 2023 | Aura Toader , Yu Ishihara

    There is a considerate environmental cost to e-cigarettes. The critical metals that make up their batteries are more likely to be found in landfills than recycling facilities. Not only does this pose a problem for the environment but regulators are starting to take notice. In this episode, we discuss the environmental problem of e-cigarettes and what may be done to address it. Then, we discuss the ambitious new regulation on tail pipe emissions by the US Environmental Protection Agency that might be the most ambitious air quality regulation ever.

    It is Electric!

    Podcast | Sep 2, 2022 | Yu Ishihara

    Not many industries are as important as the automobile industry is to developed economies. At the moment, it is going through a change we haven’t seen in a century as it shifts toward electric vehicles and companies work to lower their emissions. In this episode, we discuss what the biggest changes have been to the auto industry so far in 2022 and where it may to go.

    The Birds and Bees and the ESG

    Podcast | Jun 24, 2022 | Gillian Mollod , Yu Ishihara

    As biodiversity loss accelerates, companies and investors are under increasing pressure to act. But turning data into decisions is trickier than it seems. And after a bumpy ride for the EV start-up, ELMS files for bankruptcy and rings a cautionary governance bell.

    ESG Reporting in Long-Short Portfolios

    Research Report | Apr 19, 2022 | Rumi Mahmood , Yuliya Plyakha Ferenc , Miranda Carr , Yu Ishihara

    We draw on our consultation with owners and managers of long-short portfolios to recommend best practices for fund-level ESG and climate reporting. 

    Financed Emissions and the Wild World of EV Start-Ups

    Podcast | Feb 11, 2022 | Nigel Fletcher , Yu Ishihara

    Matching scope 3 emissions with a bank’s loan book has been elusive. But recent pressure from inside and outside the banking industry may soon change that – then will come the truly hard questions. And although recent SPAC-merger listings have unlocked ready capital for EV startups, it’s left investors with more questions than answers.

    The US Infrastructure Deal

    Podcast | Nov 12, 2021 | Gillian Mollod , Chris Cote , Yu Ishihara , Mathew Lee

    A USD 1 trillion deal is scheduled to be signed into law by US President Biden on Monday, November 12. The deal, in the White House’s words, is imperative for the US to meet its commitment to reduce U.S. emissions by 50-52% from 2005 levels in 2030, create a 100% carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, and achieve a net-zero economy by 2050. It allocates funds toward updating the US transportation system, its energy infrastructure, its climate resiliency, and its water system. We discussed how these plans move from the political stratosphere to the more habitable land of economic stimulus.

    APAC is Better at ESG and EVs Are not Enough

    Podcast | Jun 25, 2021 | Miranda Carr , Yu Ishihara

    The APAC region is one of the richest in terms of ESG opportunities, such as renewables and electric vehicles, yet also one of the highest risk areas, with pollution and supply chain risk in abundance. The good news? Some of the highest risk markets in APAC have seen some of the biggest improvement in ESG scores in the past three years. We talk about what this means. And then we discuss what would happen to global emissions if everyone in the world drove electric vehicles for a year.