The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has recommended that the EU consider sharpening up recognition of 'transition' finance and better align legislative use of what constitutes 'significant harm' in order to prevent 'greenwashing'.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has raised concerns that shortfalls in the Nigerian sovereign green bond programme could undermine international investor confidence in emerging market green bonds.

The China Green Finance Committee is preparing to publish its methodology for relabelling existing Chinese green bonds as being in alignment with the 'common ground taxonomy' (CGT) in a "couple of months' time".

By Ahren Lester at the ICMA AGM in Paris

Plans to create a free-to-use database of EU sustainability disclosures passed a key milestone, after politicians struck an agreement on its development which will extend its coverage to include green bonds.

More investors have been asked to join a ground-breaking collaborative fixed income investor engagement initiative for sovereign issuers coordinated by the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

Recommendations have been published to "enhance the impact and effectiveness" of the high-yield sustainability-linked bond (SLB) market, after areas of "unique" inconsistency and inadequacy were identified.

Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) said there are "huge opportunities" for growth in gender-focused sustainable bond issuance, especially for corporate bonds, as markets increasingly look for instruments tied to "tangible and positive impacts".

The €5.25 billion ($5.7 billion) German green bond was issued with a 'greenium' of just half a basis point (bp), which Bloomberg said was significantly smaller than previous green bonds from the country.