Ahren Lester

GSIA publishes sustainable investment 'incentive barriers' report

Commercial Bank of Ceylon plans LKR5bn green bond debut

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon (ComBank) is planning to raise up to LKR5 billion ($17 million) from its inaugural green bond, believed to be only the second sustainable bond issuance in the country.

Acciona: Scope 3 metrics should be 'action-oriented'

Spanish infrastructure conglomerate Acciona argues that Scope 3 emission metrics should be "revisited" to focus on securing actions rather than just satisfying reporting to make them more usable and impactful.

CaixaBank to launch innovative 'sustainable supply chain finance' product

Spanish lender CaixaBank is preparing to launch an innovative 'sustainable supply chain finance' (SSCF) product in the "near future" which is focused on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of the suppliers not the buyers.

Odfjell: No 'lookback' period is 'important' for transition loans

'Transition loan' pioneer Odfjell said the focus on having little to no lookback period for eligible investments was "important" for transition finance instruments, but it does require companies to make a "clear commitment" around future investments.

'Vital' LMA green loan drafting guidance to support market credibility

The Loan Market Association (LMA) has published drafting guidance for green loan transactions to encourage greater consistency and support a "more active and robust" market in the future.

Ducking public Scope 3 targets in SLBs 'tarnished' market

Although Scope 3 emissions targets are "tough," a sustainable bond investor said cases of sustainability-linked bond (SLB) issuers with public targets related to material Scope 3 emissions "tarnished" the market by not including them in their bond deal.

Slovenia 'contemplating' first sovereign SLB in Europe

Slovenia is considering issuing a sustainability-linked bond (SLB) which could become the first sovereign issuance of the performance instrument in Europe.

Cinis Fertiliser considering SEK550m green bond debut

Thailand plans landmark debut sovereign sustainability-linked bond

Thailand is planning to raise up to THB30 billion ($890 million) from its inaugural sustainability-linked bond, making it just the third sovereign issuer of the performance-based instrument and the first in Asia.