Archive

Boston Common: Differing methodologies for bank sustainable financing 'unnecessary competition'

Boston Common Asset Management (BCAM) has criticised the increasing number of methodologies used to assess how a bank's sustainable financing commitments impact its portfolio, as a distraction from core climate goals.

ESG news round-up: Calvert joins Morgan Stanley; CofE drops ExxonMobil; HSBC in net-zero pledge

GPIF predicts equity boost and bond pain from more stringent climate policies

The largest pension fund in the world has estimated its equity portfolio could experience an accelerating valuation boost if more stringent climate policy restrictions are introduced to reach global targets, whereas its corporate bond portfolio could suffer deeper losses as policy tightens.

JP Morgan Chase makes 'Paris-aligned' financing commitment

JP Morgan Chase - which was recently revealed to be the biggest financier of fossil fuels - has pledged to align its financing with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, although one NGO criticised the commitment as "vague".

BlackRock's iShares launches first climate-risk adjusted government bond fund

BlackRock has launched a product that is believed to be the first climate-risk-adjusted exchange-traded fund (ETF) to invest in government bonds.

Principles for financing green home retrofitting launched

The UK's Green Finance Institute (GFI) has launched the Green Home Retrofit Finance Principles (GHRFPs), backed by institutions including Lloyds Bank and NatWest, which until recently was known as RBS.

Big four accountancy firms agree universal ESG disclosure framework

A set of 'universal' environmental, social and governance (ESG) assessment criteria has been published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the 'big four' accountancy firms.

Morgan Stanley pledges net-zero carbon emissions by 2050

US banking giant Morgan Stanley has committed to a net-zero financed emissions target by 2050. NGOs said the move "sets a new bar for other major US banks to follow" but pointed out that it lacks "key details".

UK Insurers lagging asset managers to hit UK stewardship code deadline

Research by EY highlights disconnect between underwriters and managers on stewardship issues

McKinsey: Investor action can reduce climate impact of fashion industry

Investors have a responsibility to change their approach to the global fashion industry in order to create a more sustainable model following the Covid-19 pandemic, according to US-based management firm McKinsey & Company.