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.

Sustainable Finance - Published on 26 April 2019

Greening the financial system : a new mission for central banks

The fight against climate change can work wonders. It is not only able to transform central bankers into environmental apostles, but also reduces circumspect regulation to concrete considerations of climate-related financial risks. This was demonstrated by the Paris meeting of the Network for the...

écolabel européen pogonici

Sustainable Finance - Published on 24 April 2019

Responsible investment could mean a crash test for the mass market

Responsible investing is growing at a rapid pace and is beginning to intertwine with the rest of the finance sector. The challenge is far from being won. Disparity in terminology makes it particularly difficult for investors and salespeople to market it. And lack of standardization concerning impact...

ExxonMobil Australia

Sustainable Finance - Published on 08 April 2019

The SEC allows ExxonMobil to axe climate change resolution at general meeting

The basis of the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recent decision goes against historical trends. While shareholders once again tried to put climate on the agenda of ExxonMobil's General Meeting, the stock exchange watchdog authorised the oil giant to dismiss the resolution, on the premise...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 07 April 2019

[Inside story] Calls for boycott: George Clooney against the Sultan of Brunei, while Arab States stand against brazilian agrobusiness!

Boycotting is a double-faced geopolitical weapon used by stars like George Clooney to defend human rights but also by Arab states against the Brazilian agribusiness that sells them halal meat!

Sustainable Finance - Published on 25 March 2019

For investors, the artificial intelligence race has a long road ahead

Startups incorporating artificial intelligence technology are not as numerous as we think. A study conducted by MMC Ventures identified nearly 1,600 such startups in Europe. That’s 40% less than the number of companies claiming to be a part of this sector. Investors are ready to put more money into...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 22 March 2019

ESG reporting obligations for investors adopted by European parliament

The European Parliament and Council have agreed that EU financial professionals should be required to provide information on the incorporation of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria into financial management. The aim is to use this provision as leverage to reorient financial flows in...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 21 March 2019

The day the Norwegian sovereign wealth weakened the oil sector’s financial stronghold

8 March 2019 may be remembered the day in which the largest shareholder in the world, Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, announced that it is divesting from “oil exploration and production companies" due to financial reasons!

Sustainable Finance - Published on 10 March 2019

Sustainability linked loans: a new favorite for companies...and banks

Sustainability linked loans are the new sustainable finance products on the rise. After the stalled growth in green bonds in 2018, positive incentive credits, with rate indexes based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, are experiencing triple-digit growth. This is not a bubble,...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 10 March 2019

Climate change could provoke a financial crisis similar to 2008

The current climate crisis could provoke a financial disaster. A group of researchers from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) in the United Kingdom estimate that the link between climate, social and economic risks have been greatly underestimated until recently. According to them, the...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 07 March 2019

Natural disasters causing insures to lose profits

Almost all Insurance and reinsurance companies have seen their financial results impacted by the numerous natural disasters that occurred in 2018. The increase in economic losses related to climate events is beginning to worry insurers, but not so much in the short-term.

Sustainable Finance - Published on 05 March 2019

Meeschaert management company launches a social footprint for investments

Meeschaert wants to understand the impact of its investments on employees. The management company has recently developed its own method for calculating the social footprint of its portfolio and is now using this information to engage with companies. Accidents at work, employee turnover, parity......

Sustainable Finance - Published on 23 February 2019

Global call to massively mobilize capital for the climate

Elected officials, economists, scientists, and academics may all propose different plans, but they all have the same goal: ensure that not a single euro or dollar finances global warming, particularly through the development of fossil fuels. These calls must move global decision makers from inaction...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 22 February 2019

Top rating agencies turn to ESG criteria for credit quality

Gone are the days when rating agencies were only interested in financial information. Climate, social and governance risks are beginning to influence issuers' credit ratings for better or worse. It remains to be seen how to integrate such extra-financial criteria into the credit quality equation.

Sustainable Finance - Published on 08 February 2019

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund attacked over ethical investment strategy

Norway’s $1 trillion wealth fund has found itself under fire by conservative Norwegian critics. The new conservative coalition in power is particularly alarmed by the number of sectors excluded from the fund’s scope of intervention. The Ministry of Finance will set up a commission to review the...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 07 February 2019

Unlisted green funds: many opportunities but very little impact

Nearly €60 billion has been invested in unlisted European green assets by 223 funds. This is the result of the new Novethic study on unlisted green asset funds, conducted in partnership with Ademe, revealing an asset class that interests investors more for its profitability than its positive...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 25 January 2019

Disappearance of biodiversity: a systemic risk for the economy that remains underevaluated

The disappearance of natural capital is the second major risk factor the world faces in the next ten years, according to the Davos Forum Annual Global Risks Report. Yet at a time when biodiversity is at great risk, sustainable finance has its eyes set on climate change. To improve the situation, we...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 17 December 2018

[Inside story] COP24 highlights limits to financial engagement on coal-related emissions

At COP24, which is taking place in Katowice, Poland until 14 December, 415 major global investors are calling on states to be more ambitious about reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. This is a puzzling message considering that many management company funds have increased the quantity of...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 01 December 2018

Sustainable finance, a growing sector

An international mobilization for a sustainable finance has taken place in Paris this week. The major players in the sector took stock of their actions and made new green commitments. To this day, while sustainable finance is still a small business, a real movement seems to have begun to build a...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 30 November 2018

A green CAC40 index, for what?

It is now possible to invest in the largest, most transparent French listed companies on environmental criteria, or so is Goldman Sach’s promise with their new "green" financial product. The bank is relying on data from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) to choose the 40 most advanced French...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 31 October 2018

"173 shades of reporting": will there soon be a European version of article 173?

On 25 October, Novethic published "173 Shades of Reporting: Edition 2", an in-depth analysis of the climate risk and integration of environmental, social and governance criteria (ESG) reporting conducted by the top 100 French institutional investors. The results from the first two editions show the...