Ahren Lester

Articles by Ahren Lester

  • Swedish regulator opposes easing capital rules for green investments

    17 June 2020

    The Swedish financial supervisory authority has opposed proposals to cut the capital requirements required by pension funds for their 'green' investments, the latest intervention by a global regulator in the so-called 'green supporting factor' debate.

  • National Grid signs $740m green loan from export agencies

    16 June 2020

    National Grid has signed a green loan worth $743 million to help fund the construction of an electricity interconnector between Denmark and the UK, believed to be the first covered green loan to be signed with more than one export credit agency.

  • Snam issues maiden €500m 'transition' bond after 'climate action' criticism

    12 June 2020

    Italian energy infrastructure firm Snam has raised €500 million ($567 million) through its inaugural 'transition bond' to finance or refinance energy transition projects, just over a year after its 'climate action bond' attracted controversy.

  • Chinese green bond standard update a 'great signal' to market

    11 June 2020

    After years of misalignment with global green bond standards, the new proposals from Chinese watchdogs should clear the way for greater green bond issuance. Ahren Lester reports

  • Private equity firm EQT enters €5bn ESG-linked loan facility

    11 June 2020

    Private equity firm EQT has entered into an environmental, social and governance (ESG)-linked, fund-level bridge facility of up to €5 billion ($5.7 billion) with a syndicate of more than 15 lenders, including BNP Paribas and SEB.

  • Norges Bank and Unicef launch clothing supply chain child rights guidance

    10 June 2020

    Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) and children's charity Unicef have launched guidance for apparel and footwear firms on how to better integrate child rights in their global supply chains.

  • Sustainability-linked Bond Principles mark new era for bond market

    09 June 2020

    A set of Sustainability-linked Bond Principles (SLBP) was launched today, in a landmark move that is expected to kickstart a new market of labelled bond issuance that will "complement rather than act as an alternative" to the green bond market.

  • UK will 'wait to decide' whether to adopt EU Taxonomy after Brexit

    08 June 2020

    The UK government is to reserve judgment on whether it will adopt the EU Taxonomy for sustainable activities after it finalises its departure from the bloc, due to the lack of "clarity" currently surrounding the guidelines.

  • Fossil fuel reserve profits 'could fall by two-thirds'

    08 June 2020

    Falling demand and rising investment risk is forecast to slash profits from fossil fuel reserves, research by Carbon Tracker reported, estimating they could collapse by almost two-thirds.

  • Green energy investment resilient despite economic shock

    08 June 2020

    Investment in green technologies is holding up better than its fossil fuel rivals, reports Ahren Lester, despite the unprecedented economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic slashing 2020 forecasts