In the first of our series “ESG in Fund Finance” articles, we summarise and examine the recent publication “A Guide to the Application of Sustainability-linked Loan Principles in Fund Finance”....more
On October 25, 2023, the European Council adopted the European Green Bond Standard (EU GBS), a new voluntary regime for green bonds that aims to solidify the EU's position as a leader in sustainable finance, reduce...more
According to a survey conducted by KPMG, 75% of companies are not in a position to obtain third-party assurance on their published ESG data. This is despite the fact that two-thirds of companies must disclose such data, or...more
11/29/2023
/ Business Strategies ,
Capital Investments ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Data Management ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
KPMG ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Quality Assurance Programs
On September 20, 2023, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced that it was developing a methodology to assess its clients’ exposure to nature-related impacts and risks. The EIB reinforced its commitment to address...more
In its annual Global Regulatory Update (the 2023 Update Report), Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) determined that the application of different ESG disclosure and reporting frameworks presents significant challenges...more
In August 2023, the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) solicited feedback on proposed amendments to the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme. This is the third step in...more
On September 4, 2023, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INCPP) released a draft proposal on the reduction of global plastic pollution. The so-called “Zero Draft” proposes measures to address...more
On October 9, 2023, the Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) published the Disclosure Framework providing good practice recommendations for companies to enable them to make “high quality, consistent and comparable transition plan...more
The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) released a joint statement announcing the interoperability of their respective reporting standards, enabling companies subject...more
In September 2023, pan-European stock exchange and market infrastructure provider Euronext announced the imminent launch of a range of ESG tools and initiatives focused on sustainable finance, including its intention to...more
10/12/2023
/ Capital Markets ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Euronext ,
Green Finance ,
Investment ,
Investment Management ,
Popular ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Finance
Ahead of September 2023’s G20 summit in Delhi, the Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return (FAIRR) Initiative called on G20 Finance Ministers to reform agricultural subsidies to enable countries to meet their net zero greenhouse...more
10/11/2023
/ Agribusiness ,
Biodiversity ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
COP ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
G20 ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Investment ,
Net Zero ,
Subsidies
On 14 September 2023, the European Commission published a targeted consultation and a public consultation on the implementation of Regulation (“EU”) 2019/2088 on sustainability-related disclosures in the financial services...more
On May 31, 2023, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published a final report on the framework for the 5th ESMA Stress Test Exercise for Central Counterparties (CCPs). For the first time, climate risk has...more
In early September 2023, the Green Technical Advisory Group (GTAG) issued two reports relating to the treatment of green financial products and taxonomy reporting. GTAG was established in 2021 and is an expert group that...more
On September 8, 2023, the United Nations published its first Global Stocktake report on the progress made by nations in addressing climate change. The report, which represents the first comprehensive assessment of nearly 200...more
9/27/2023
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
Paris Agreement ,
Supply Chain ,
United Nations
In August 2023, the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) issued its proposed International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000, “General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance...more
On July 31, 2023, the European Commission adopted the long-anticipated European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) for use by all companies subject to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The...more
9/20/2023
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
European Commission ,
Investment ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
In August 2023, the UK’s Department of Business and Trade (DBT) announced the creation of new sustainability rules that are intended to align with the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards issued by the International...more
9/19/2023
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Green Finance ,
IFRS ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
UK
In July 2023, the European Commission published its annual Strategic Foresight Report (the Report), focusing on how sustainability and people’s wellbeing can help to achieve President von der Leyen’s six priorities for the...more
A new study by the IBM Institute for Business Value found that approximately half of CEOs and their executive teams surveyed have their compensation tied to the organizations’ performance in relation to sustainability goals....more
The UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) recently released its 2023 statutory report, evaluating the UK’s progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting carbon reduction targets. This report, mandated by the...more
9/7/2023
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hydrogen Power ,
Infrastructure ,
Net Zero ,
Pollution Control ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
UK
In June 2023, the UK and France announced a joint plan to launch a new biodiversity credits scheme. Through the Global Biodiversity Credits Roadmap, the two countries have pledged to support private sector biodiversity...more
On July 31, 2023, the European Commission announced its adoption of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) for companies subject to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The long-awaited...more
On July 11, 2023, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) issued a Public Statement outlining its expectations for sustainability-related disclosures to be incorporated into prospectuses. In its statement, ESMA...more
In April 2022, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (the Basel Committee) began a review of “the core principles for effective banking supervision” (Core Principles or CP). Last month, the Basel Committee published...more