Sustainable Finance

Sustainable Finance - Published on 16 April 2018

Danone issues a 300 million-euro pioneer social bond, a first for a multinational corporation

The agribusiness giant has issued a 300 million-euro positive social impact bond. This sum will be used to finance research on food, the emancipation of various populations or the improvement employee protection within the group. This is the first time that a private actor has carried out such an...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 29 March 2018

High-level conference: a glorious day for sustainable finance

A packed hall in the heart of Brussels' European Quarter and prestigious speakers, such as Emmanuel Macron, Michael Bloomberg, Jean-Claude Juncker. On March 22nd, the High-Level Conference on sustainable finance was organized by the European Commission to launch its sustainable finance action plan....

Sustainable Finance - Published on 21 March 2018

Oekom to join Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) in unexpected acquistion

Oekom’s acquisition by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), the American proxy firm, has caused quite a shock in the small ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) community. The German rating agency will now be able to manage increasingly fierce competition, but Europe will lose a rare...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 19 March 2018

Major French corporations link credit facilities to environmental and social performance

It's a small revolution that has been going on for a few months in the banking sector. A new tool is attempting to link credit facilities with environmental and social performance. Referred to as “impact credits”, these new tools already have a following in France. Danone has recently signed on,...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 14 March 2018

The EU announces a European eco-label for citizens who want to invest in Green Finance

In the European Commission's Action Plan for Financing Sustainable Growth, published on 8 March, a European eco-label project has been emphasised in an effort to skew the personal investments of European citizens towards more climate-friendly financial products.

Sustainable Finance - Published on 23 February 2018

Green bond issuance to reach 200 billion-dollar record in 2018

According to estimates by Standard & Poor’s, the global green bond market should reach $200 billion this year. This is a 30% increase compared to 2017 — lower than the previous five years. But what is worth noting is the greater diversification of borrowers, which includes more private investors and...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 31 January 2018

[INSIDE STORY] What will it take to drive the "business as usual" scenario out of business ?

As January 2018 comes to an end, it is marked by strong messages that all carry the same meaning: current business models are at risk and must change course in order to become sustainable.

Sustainable Finance - Published on 31 January 2018

Towards sustainable finance : key recommendations from the European High-Level Expert group report

After one year of work, the 20 members of the High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (HLEG), set up by the European Commission at the end of 2016, published their recommendations in a 100-page report. These recommendations are aimed at not only developing green finance but also making...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 04 December 2017

[INSIDE STORY] Could financial risks in oil and gas influence the way market indexes measure financial performance?

The Norwegian government must decide if its sovereign wealth fund will divest from the world’s major oil companies, a decision that could change the way stock market indexes measure financial performance. This announcement was a wakeup call for the finance world, which still measures its performance...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 27 November 2017

Laurence Tubiana: the One Planet Summit must fuse the Paris agreement with the real economy

“The One Planet Summit starts a new phase in the Paris Agreement”, insists Laurence Tubiana, president of the European Climate Foundation and French ambassador for climate negotiations during the COP 21 in 2015. This meeting is an occasion to fuse the agreement with the real economy, and integrate...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 20 November 2017

Financial hurdles strain COP23 climate negotiations in Bonn

Issues surrounding coal, and to a lesser extent small island states, were the focus of the COP 23 climate negotiations in Bonn (Germany). But hiding in the background, were concerns for the 100 billion dollars per year needed for climate change adaptation from now until 2020. Developed countries...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 10 November 2017

[Inside story] One Planet Summit: Global Call for Climate Action

With COP 23 in Bonn in full swing, under the Presidency of Fiji, which is currently threatened with submersion by rising sea levels, France hopes that people will turn their attention to Paris. To mark the anniversary of the Paris Agreement, France is organising a full-scale call to action to turn...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 21 July 2017

[Inside Story] Europe's sustainable finance wave

The European Commission's public hearing on the report prepared by the High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance was an appeal to the financial industry about the urgent need to shift toward models that limit environmental and social harm and finance the transition toward low-carbon and...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 13 July 2017

Sustainable finance: A report sets out the missions of the European Commission's Expert Group

In an interim report published on 13 July 2017, the European Commission's High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) offers a vision of what sustainable finance might become. Final recommendations are expected to be issued by the end of the year, following consultations with banks, insurers, pension funds,...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 05 July 2017

Investors rally for the energy transition

Faced with the risks and opportunities associated with the energy transition, more and more investors are campaigning to demand a low-carbon economy. They call themselves ethical investors and they aim to influence both firms and regulators. They are part of a movement that received its initial...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 21 June 2017

Smoking can be very harmful for your investments

Aviva recently sold over one billion euros worth in bonds and shares in tobacco companies. It is the latest in a global trend started by France's Axa one year ago that received renewed momentum with World No Tobacco Day held on 31 May. A coalition of asset owners with investments totalling $3.8...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 14 June 2017

Finance for tomorrow: persuading the financial sector to bet on a sustainable future

On 13 June 2017, the Finance for Tomorrow initiative, of which Novethic is a partner, was unveiled at Paris Europlace. Its aim is to highlight the strength of the French financial ecosystem in the areas of responsible investment and green finance.

Sustainable Finance - Published on 08 June 2017

Europe seeks to align finance with 2°C warming goal

The European Commission's High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance works actively on an initial set of recommendations, to be presented in an interim report in mid-July. A few days earlier, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, established by the Financial Stability Board,...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 07 June 2017

“We need to return to a model where finance is a tool for economic development,” says Rainier Brunet

Rainier Brunet is Treasurer of ENGIE Global Markets and Chairman of the Young Leaders of Finance club, which he launched on 16 May 2017. Bertrand Badré, founder and CEO of BlueOrange Capital, made an opening speech at the event. In his words, “finance is a good servant but a bad master”. This...

Sustainable Finance - Published on 29 May 2017

Under government pressure, Germany's financial industry takes first tentative steps in green finance

On 24 May 2017, Deutsche Börse, which operates the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, unveiled an initiative to promote green finance in Germany's financial markets. Presented as a voluntary commitment, it aims to support the German government's efforts to place green finance high on the agenda of the G20...