SUSTAINABLE FINANCE

Sustainable Finance

Sustainable finance brings together Socially Responsible Investment (SRI), solidarity finance, green finance and is often known as responsible investing. Sustainable finance is mainly focused on the fight against climate change through impact investments and green funds.

TimeaNagy PRI

Sustainable Finance - Published on 20 September 2019

Modern Slavery and Responsible Investment: One Woman’s Shocking Testimony Spurs Call to Action!

A strong message was sent to the 1,700 participants of PRI in Person, an international event that was organized in Paris from September 10th to 12th, 2019. The message was clear: to be a responsible investor also means to focus on the S in ESG criteria by making the fight against modern slavery a...

Carbon delta team 2

Sustainable Finance - Published on 13 September 2019

Sustainable finance: MSCI acquires Carbon Delta, the rising star in climate risk assessment

The Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rating market is restructuring once again! The recent acquisition announcement by MSCI of the Swiss environmental fintech platform Carbon Delta confirms two major trends: the growing Americanization of the sector and the use of ESG data modeling by...

HeidelbergCement Pologne gorazdze after high res 1

Sustainable Finance - Published on 09 September 2019

Cement: the next challenge for responsible investors

The cement industry is the second most carbon-emitting industrial sector. A coalition of investors has put a spotlight on the industry, to urge companies to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. CRH, LafargeHolcim, HeidelbergCement and Saint-Gobain have all been targeted in order to conclude what...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 03 September 2019

Blackrock advocates for direct intervention from central banks in times of crisis

A new economic crisis may be on the horizon, according to numerous economists. In order to avoid a global recession, the Blackrock Investment Institute, a major American think tank and global asset manager, has suggested an original plan: equip central banks with funds that allow them to directly...

Epidemie Ebola OMS

Sustainable Finance - Published on 23 August 2019

Ebola Outbreak: the World Bank fails to release funds to fight the epidemic

As the Ebola outbreak spreads through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), questions have been raised concerning the World Bank’s ability to release the emergency funds raised on the bond market that were specifically created to prevent such pandemics.

Sustainable Finance - Published on 23 August 2019

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund backtracks on its decision to divest from oil

Two years ago, the Norwegian sovereign fund made an impressive move by announcing its divestment from hydrocarbons. This was a strong message for the sovereign fund as it has built its wealth on oil extracted from the North Sea. However, the final plan would only concern $5.7 billion of a $1.1...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 13 August 2019

Leaving carbon behind: Ursula von der Leyen wants to create a just energy transition fund for the EU

The next president of the European Commission is starting to shed some light onto her upcoming tenure this November. During a trip to Poland, Ursula von der Leyen said she wanted to create an investment fund to help transform coal-dependent countries. She also wants to launch a citizens conference...

Banque européenne d'investissement @EIB

Sustainable Finance - Published on 07 August 2019

The European Investment Bank turns its back on fossil fuels

The European Commission has recently published an ambitious climate strategy. The European Investment Bank, its financial tool for policy implementation, is in turn deciding to no longer finance projects linked to fossil fuels. This is somewhat revolutionary for the EIB, which is often criticized on...

Bateaux echoues pxhere com

Sustainable Finance - Published on 26 July 2019

[The World in 2050] At COP 56, the finance sector seeks to rid itself of fossil fuels from the past

Welcome to 2050. In a prospective way, our journalist, Arnaud Dumas, used the actual trends of finance to imagine what could be the finance sector by then. The "stranded assets crisis" of 2039 left serious consequences for the global economy. During COP 56, held in Paris in 2050, the French Minister...

Libra facebook iStock CHENG FENG CHIANG

Sustainable Finance - Published on 19 July 2019

G7 finance ministers meeting: Libra, the Facebook cryptocurrency worrying global leaders

G7 Finance Ministers met in Chantilly, France on July 17th and 18th to discuss the cryptocurrency that Facebook is set to launch next year. Ministers and regulatory authorities want more details on the cryptocurrency project. They fear the project’s magnitude due to Facebook’s billions of...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 12 July 2019

Five celebrities using their fame and fortune for a sustainable future

Robert Downey Jr., the actor known for his role as Iron Man, wants to launch the Footprint Coalition in 2020, a project aimed at using science to protect the environment. He is not alone in using his fame - and fortune – to serve the common good. Bono, Leonardo DiCaprio, Serena Williams, and Bill...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 08 July 2019

Shareholder Engagement Demonstrates Its Impact On Company Transformation In The Oil And Gas Sector

Investor coalitions are putting in place specific methodologies to question companies on their social responsibility. The Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI) and the Dutch NN Investment Partners explained the results they obtained from companies like Shell, BP and Tesla at Novethic’s 2019 Positive...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 20 June 2019

The great battle over the european classification system for sustainable activities has begun

Members of the European Commission’s technical expert group recently unveiled the fruit of a year’s worth of labor: a proposal for a regulation on the establishment of a classification system (i.e. taxonomy) to facilitate sustainable activities in Europe. As the backbone of the sustainable finance...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 19 June 2019

Three essential questions to navigating the jungle of sustainable finance labels

Sustainable finance labels provide valuable insights for investors seeking to manage their money more responsibly. However, there are significant disparities between many European sustainable finance labels, which makes it difficult to understand their true impact. To better understand this impact,...

London Stock Exchange Manakin

Sustainable Finance - Published on 07 June 2019

ESG focus: Beyond Ratings moves to the London stock exchange!

On June 3rd, the London Stock Exchange announced the acquisition of Beyond Ratings, signifying the rise of sustainable finance in the London Stock Exchange. This French rating agency, created in 2014, specializes in the integration of ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria into credit...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 27 May 2019

[Europe] The European union: a motor in the development of sustainable finance

European institutions deserve much credit for the recent momentum around sustainable finance. In less than three years, it has become a major focus of the Commission's financial markets policy. It is likely to transform the European economy, provided that differences of opinion between Member States...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 17 May 2019

The World Bank wants to reconcile mining and climate action

The World Bank has launched a $50 million fund to invest in mining sites in developing countries. Its goal is to support the energy transition by financing the extraction of the mines and metals needed for green energy. The plan to introduce responsible practices to a sector known for its many...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 13 May 2019

Shareholders rebel against top companies ahead of annual meeting season

Bayer, Barclays, UBS...annual meeting season is already in a state of turmoil, with shareholders voting against corporate leadership and asking them to be more responsible. Shareholder activism is strengthening to hold companies more responsible, particularly on the climate issue. Businesses are...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 10 May 2019

Impact investing: a holy grail for the finance sector

The search for impact investing has spread across the entire finance sector. From specialized management companies to the largest of banks, financial institutions want to be a part of this rapidly growing market, estimated at $502 billion by Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN). However, there is...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 30 April 2019

Gender equality: the next challenge in sustainable finance

Thematic funds on gender equality are starting to emerge within companies. And it's not an easy task! Women continue to experience difficulties in attaining corporate leadership roles. The management company Mirova has just created a fund that goes against current statistics, by investing in...