With a new president in the White House and a new chairman incoming, the US Securities and Exchange Commission is on the cusp of change. The regulator’s longest-serving commissioner gives Euromoney a unique insight into the expected US regulatory reboot – including a revamp of capital formation and crypto experimentation.

As Greece re-emerged from the financial crisis with firm roots on growth and innovation, Piraeus Bank embarked on its own transformation journey. In an exclusive interview with Euromoney, Thanos F Vlachopoulos, head of large corporate finance and wholesale products at Piraeus Group, reflects on the digital transformation of transaction banking at the corporate unit.

Euromoney’s head of capital markets Laurie McAughtry interviews Alfonso Garcia Mora, vice-president for Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Finance Corporation, during the 30th edition of the CEE Forum in Vienna.

As the global banking sector faces increasingly complex challenges, sustainability has emerged as a defining priority for institutions looking to shape the future. Eva Rubio Garcia, head of global transaction banking at BBVA, speaks exclusively with Euromoney about driving change through sustainability.

European bankers and corporates discuss the impact of new regulatory frameworks, such as the EU green bond standard, on the sustainable finance market.

Capital markets are crucial in helping firms to navigate the turbulent geopolitical climate, acting as both a catalyst for growth and a long-term stabiliser to effectively handle challenges such as currency risk, interest-rate fluctuations and the increasing cost of capital. In the first of our Euromoney Market Voices series, the CEO of Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets explains how markets are adapting to the challenges of the new normal – and how banks and corporates can take advantage.

Six years after the Paris Agreement and the world is still looking for enablers to accelerate the net-zero journey. Many see trade finance instruments as the next significant step but that requires accurate and structured data, robust reporting capabilities, and streamlined processes. Key leading players in the area tell Euromoney what is changing in the world of sustainable trade finance.

In 2010, Soumya Rajan was a senior private banker at Standard Chartered in Mumbai. Then she quit to set up Waterfield Advisors, a multi-family office and wealth advisory firm which now helps Indian families manage US$4.3 billion in assets. She tells Euromoney why wealth management in India is so exciting, which factors are driving new money creation – and why so many private banks are so bad at serving women.

Javier Rodríguez Soler, BBVA’s global head of sustainability and corporate and investment banking, says an acquisition of Banco Sabadell would boost his division’s international standing. But BBVA is already eyeing a leading role in banking decarbonisation around the world, especially in the US. Partnerships with private equity companies, and investments in cleantech funds, are among the ways it is pursuing that goal.

Corporate supply chains are facing logistic, shipping and operational challenges while also under pressure from geopolitical tensions and natural disasters, as highlighted by trade leaders at the world’s leading banks in Euromoney’s Trade Finance Survey 2024.

New transition bond includes step-down, as new ‘green infrastructure’ bond issued.

Wholesale banking head Andrew Bester explains the renowned retail bank’s ambition to win new revenues building on its expertise in sustainable finance.

Access Bank in Nigeria, under managing director Herbert Wigwe, leads the way in social and environmental banking efforts, helping improve the country’s health and education, reducing emissions, spearheading sustainability and supporting financial inclusion. Its vast range of work wins Access Bank the award for Africa’s best bank for corporate responsibility.

In green bond issuance, Bank of America leads the way, adding a fourth green bond to its list in May this year. It was its largest yet, at $2.25 billion, and its proceeds will support renewable energy generation.

Lloyds Banking Group’s ‘Helping Britain prosper’ plan, launched four years ago, has put corporate responsibility at the top of the UK bank’s priorities. It was a bold initiative, addressing Britain’s housing needs, helping people plan for the future, helping businesses to start up and grow, championing diversity, supporting clean energy and tackling social disadvantage. It earns Lloyds the award for western Europe’s best bank for corporate responsibility.

On the back of the worst drought in living memory, the City of Cape Town issued South Africa’s first true green bond last year. It turned to one bank to be the lead arranger – Rand Merchant Bank (RMB). The city was able to raise R1 billion ($73 million) from eight allocated bidders, having received bids of almost R5 billion from 31 different bidders. The proceeds will be put to use financing green projects such as emergency water supply initiatives.

Mexico may now be the world’s 15th largest economy, but approximately 38 million Mexican adults are still unbanked – roughly the size of the population of Canada. Education and job creation have been a focus of the Mexican government; one bank in the country stands out for its efforts to help that progress by providing financing solutions, Citibanamex, which wins the award for Latin America’s best bank for sustainable finance.

In sustainable finance, it is often the case that what is not financed shows a bank’s commitment to sustainability just as much as what is financed. BNP Paribas is committed to both sides of this coin and it wins the award this year for western Europe’s best bank for sustainable finance.