Ahren Lester

Green and sustainability-linked loan round-up, 30 September: Equites and CLS

Credit Suisse ocean health impact fund raises $212m

Credit Suisse has announced its impact fund addressing ocean health and engaging to create a sustainable blue economy has raised $212 million.

Nature Action 100 proposed by World Bank to mobilise biodiversity finance

The World Bank has proposed five "big ideas" to drive growth in biodiversity financing, including development banks becoming cornerstone investors for biodiversity projects and investors creating a 'Nature Action 100' initiative similar to Climate Action 100+.

PRI ejects first five signatories for failing minimum standards

The UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) has for the first time booted out five signatories for failing to meet the minimum requirements, with a further 15 signatories at risk of being delisted in 2021.

Defining transition finance: how to be inclusive yet specific

Transition finance has garnered a lot of attention, but the challenge of delineating what exactly it is remains unresolved. Three recent reports try to balance the need for the definition to be both broad enough to be inclusive, yet specific enough to protect the instruments from claims of greenwashing. Ahren Lester reports.

Biodiversity accounting initiative outlines initial guidelines

A report endorsed by banks and asset managers has laid out a common approach to measuring positive impact on biodiversity.

26 firms commit to biodiversity impact and disclosure pledge

A pledge to set targets and reporting on biodiversity, and pressure world leaders to reverse nature loss has been signed by 26 financial firms managing over €3 trillion ($3.5 trillion) in assets, including Axa, HSBC Global Asset Management and Robeco.

Basic definition essential for transition bond issuance, says ISS ESG

The market does not have to 'reinvent the wheel' on the structure of transition bonds to support future issuers, ISS ESG tells Ahren Lester, but a clear definition of what activities demonstrate 'transition' is essential for this potentially large market to grow

SEC shareholder resolution proposals 'actively muzzle' investor engagement

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved rules which limit the ability of investors to file shareholder proposals, a move criticised as "actively muzzling" investor pressure on environmental, social and governance (ESG) and other material issues.

ECB gives green light to sustainability-linked bonds

The European Central Bank (ECB) has announced that sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) will be eligible as collateral and for its asset purchase programmes from 2021, delivering an important boost to the nascent asset class.