Ahren Lester

UN's 'Race to Zero' campaign launches finance sector expert group

The Race to Zero campaign launched by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has formed a finance sector expert group (FSEG) to develop "consistent, fair, and rigorous" guidelines for assessing which financial firms should be eligible to join the initiative..

Green and sustainability-linked loan round-up: Volvo, Link REIT, Ascott ... and more

Mandatory climate disclosure in France drove down fossil fuel holdings

The introduction of mandatory climate-related disclosures in France resulted in a "sharp relative decrease" in holdings of fossil fuels securities by institutional investors, according to a report by the Banque de France, indicating such requirements have a critical role to play in redirecting capital sustainably.

Bond round-up: Spain, IBRD, EIB, TIM, Bank of China ... and more

Bank of China transition bond a 'missed opportunity'

The Bank of China transition bond was ground-breaking in its claims to align with the newly launched transition finance recommendations, reports Ahren Lester, but experts judged the transaction as failing to live up to its promise and ambition

15 major investors back HSBC vote on fossil fuel phase-out plan

News Round Up: FE fundinfo buys CSSP, SEI joins CA100+ and Lightsource BP signs novel PPA

Bank of China issues first ICMA 'handbook'-linked transition bond

The Hong Kong branch of the Bank of China (BoC) has raised $780 million from the first transition bond to be aligned with the recently announced transition finance recommendations from the administrators of the Green and Social Bond Principles.

'Happily surprised': Private sector has taken ESG seriously

It is a misconception that private equity firms are not focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, Apex ESG Ratings boss Andy Pitts-Tucker tells Ahren Lester, but many need help in collecting ESG data and turning it into action

US senate wins a 'huge opportunity' for Biden's green ambitions, says M&G

A "huge opportunity" has been handed to US President-elect Joe Biden to deliver on his green policy ambitions, according to M&G Investments, after his Democratic Party takes control of the US Senate following the elections in Georgia.