Michael Hurley

A $9.5 trillion group of asset owners has set out guidelines on designing 'credible' transition plans and on aligning lobbying and advocacy with decarbonisation goals, areas it said were "crucial, but often challenging, elements for working on net-zero commitments".

Financial institutions under-reporting their sustainability credentials to evade investor scrutiny or regulatory requirements may be punished under existing regulations, according to a report by the board of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).

Financial markets may be underappreciating the prospects for companies that enable climate resilience, BlackRock has said, as it warned the cost of disaster rebuilding in the US alone could equate to the $39 billion of energy investments under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Setting net zero commitments can oblige companies to report their performance against climate targets under existing financial accounting standards, according to the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) interpretations committee.

A big drop in the total assets judged as 'sustainable' globally has been reported in the latest in a series of biennial reviews, with tightened criteria in response to a "rise in greenwashing and greenhushing".