Asset managers and owners are scrutinizing firms’ climate commitments like never before, as HSBC is discovering.

UK bank urged to set timeline for fossil-fuel financing phase-out.

From Covid relief funds to the COP26 climate summit, sustainability is expected to dominate the global agenda this year as never before.

Its ambitions require an estimated $1 trillion annual spend and only 10% to 15% of this will be met by the government.

One of the solutions to the looming sovereign debt crisis could be to link financing to natural capital or climate adaptation.

The sheer weight of investor demand for sovereign issuance means that the UK government could be warming up to the idea of a green gilt.

The social bond market has boomed as public-sector borrowers raise funding to mitigate the pandemic. Now they need to become long-term options for both banks and corporates.

The Covid pandemic and racial injustice protests have thrust social investing into the spotlight this year. However, using this to achieve long-term change on the ground will be a tough job.

One intriguing sub-plot of a wild year in bank capital has been the advent of green AT1 and tier-2 deals.

Demand for investments with a positive social or environmental impact is increasing. For portfolio managers this means navigating a complex world of terminologies, data and reporting

Environmental, social and governance factors are financially material and the time for debate is over – unless you’re Trump.

While banks have made progress on integrating environmental considerations into areas such as project finance and corporate lending, investment bankers have so far faced few – if any – sustainability-related restrictions on their activities.

Environmental, social and governance ratings are far from perfect – but criticism of the industry too often misses the mark.

HSBC launched its green deposit account in the first week of February with a deposit from a building materials company.

The asset manager has decided to pull investment from firms that don’t make sufficient progress on ESG disclosure while it routinely votes against climate-related shareholder resolutions itself.

Sustainable financing is gaining ground in corporate Russia as firms look to improve their environmental, social and governance policies ‒ but can the country’s notorious polluters really go green?

The second of our six proposals to make sustainable finance work is for firms to mandate the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Euromoney has spoken to 20 sustainable finance experts about what is needed to make efforts more effective. The third of our six recommendations is to push for the standardization of climate risk measurements.

How can sustainable finance be moved into the mainstream and made to work better? The fifth of our six recommendations is to target deforestation reduction.

Euromoney has drawn up six recommendations for the sustainable finance sector, based on the views of 20 experts in the field. The fourth of our six proposals is to develop transition finance.

What needs to happen for sustainability to be adopted by mainstream finance and move beyond the realm of pledges, panels and press releases? The first of our six recommendations is for banks to sign up to the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB).

Leading bankers in sustainable finance fear that, despite the advances and the rhetoric, the industry is not moving quickly enough. Euromoney asked 20 regional and global heads of sustainable finance for their views: what the experts think might surprise you.

Euromoney has spoken to 20 sustainable finance experts about what is needed to bring about real progress. The last of our six recommendations is for efforts to be made to incentivize green finance.

Tiny Bhutan has a claim to fame as the first and only country that can claim to be not only carbon neutral but dramatically carbon negative. Conservation is wrapped in with the national ideal of ‘gross national happiness’, a pillar of the country’s constitution and fundamental to national planning.

The Latin American nation has gone all-out to rebuild its natural environment over the last three decades, with great results – now it needs the rest of the world to pay attention.

The Seychelles was the first country to issue a debt-for-nature swap to protect its marine environment; it was also the first to issue a blue bond, raising capital to finance sustainable marine and ocean-related projects. But can it overcome the teething problems and provide a model other island nations can follow?

Partnership with Ellen MacArthur Foundation aims to raise awareness of circular opportunity in financial sector.

Deforestation – and the cattle farming that largely drives it – has caught the world’s attention. While some environmentalists suggest punitive measures to make Brazil a better steward of the forest, there are already more constructive, private-sector responses to the challenge. Can they scale quickly enough to save the Amazon?

The rhino impact bond has sparked excitement that financial tools can play a role in helping Africa conserve its wildlife. As the continent’s population level is set to rise quickly, Euromoney looks at the work being done to connect conservation with economic growth.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, clean up water supplies, prevent the loss of biodiversity, mitigate fire and flood risk and meet the nutritional requirements of a growing population the world must improve its regenerative and sustainable agricultural practices – new tools and support from the financial services industry are needed to fund that transition.