Michael Hurley

BSI readies natural capital accounting standard as investors seek impact 'baseline'

A forthcoming accounting standard for natural capital could help investors grappling with the problem of assigning a financial value to preservation and improvement of nature.

Exxon adds Ubben to board ahead of AGM

ExxonMobil has appointed Jeff Ubben to its board, in an apparent concession to demands made by the activist investor to reposition its business model to reduce the impact of its business on climate change.

Apollo appoints 'impact advisory' group

Apollo has appointed an 11-member group to support the private equity investment manager's impact investment strategy.

Viñes Fiestas to leave BNP to join Spanish regulator

Helena Viñes Fiestas is to leave BNP Paribas Asset Management to join the Spanish securities market regulator.

Federated Hermes to ask companies for 'net positive biodiversity impact'

Companies in sectors including consumer goods, mining, oil & gas, real estate and finance are to be asked to disclose their impact on biodiversity and to set a target to have a 'net positive impact'.

Microfinance lending doubled as small business dodged Covid - CaixaBank

CaixaBank's 'social bank' subsidiary doubled year-on-year the amount of loans it provided to small companies and entrepreneurs, as so-called microloans helped businesses pivot to avoid the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic last year, the Spanish bank said.

UN fund makes $41m SDG blended finance investments

The UN's Joint Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Fund has committed to invest in a series of projects aimed at contributing to the Global Goals.

Use SFDR draft standards as reference point, ESAs say

Financial institutions in the EU should "use as a reference" draft technical standards for sustainability-related disclosures until the standards formally enter into force, the three European Supervisory Authorities have said.

News Round-up: RBC, Barclays, NBIM, ISS, Greencoat and more

IOSCO offers to help IFRS coordinate global disclosure standards

The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) has offered to establish an expert group that would help the IFRS coordinate development of its proposed global sustainability reporting standards.