Communications & Reporting

NGOs call for bioenergy to be removed from EU sustainable investment rules

Angeli Mehta, (May 30, 2021)

Green groups say the European Commission has listened to member-states rather than science in allowing biomass for energy. Angeli Mehta reports

‘The finance sector should be leading in race to net zero – instead it is a laggard’

Emily Kreps, (May 18, 2021)

Comment: Emily Kreps, CDP’s global director of capital markets, says financial institutions should insist that the companies they finance are prepared for the low-carbon transition

To engage stakeholders, ESG reports must go beyond data and get to the ‘why’

Carol Goodstein, (May 11, 2021)

COMMENT: Carol Goodstein explains how storytelling backed by data can be a vital tool in communicating a company's purpose to different audiences

'New EU directive means companies will have to be transparent about their climate impacts'

Richard Howitt, (May 4, 2021)

ANALYSIS: Richard Howitt, who originally proposed and negotiated the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive, welcomes Europe’s move to align corporate reporting with the TCFDs in the draft Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive

ESG Watch: Net-zero ‘alliance of alliances’ points finance system in the same direction

Mike Scott, (Apr 28, 2021)

Mike Scott reports on how the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero has its work cut out, with two of America's biggest banks not taking part, and a new CDP report warning that finance firms are underestimating climate risk

'Time to get real about what it will take to finance net-zero'

Richard Roberts, (Mar 31, 2021)

COMMENT: Richard Roberts of Volans argues that deep and fundamental transformation will be needed to avert climate catastrophe

Asset managers need to look within when it comes to responsible investment

Peter Uhlenbruch, (Mar 23, 2021)

Comment: Peter Uhlenbruch of ShareAction warns that internal processes around training and financial incentives will need to be radically reformed if the industry is to meet the demands of the new EU sustainable finance disclosure regulation

ESG Watch: BlackRock’s Fink pushes on rapidly opening door with latest letter

Mike Scott, (Feb 21, 2021)

In his monthly column, Mike Scott analyses the latest developments in sustainable finance, from the ‘not-so-green’ recovery to Aviva’s tough stance on decarbonisation plans

ESG Watch: Investors urged to set science-based climate targets and join UN’s race to zero

Mike Scott, (Jan 25, 2021)

In his monthly column in the new Sustainable Business Review, Mike Scott analyses the latest news developments in sustainable finance, from the boom in ESG funds to biodiversity climbing up the investment agenda

What companies can do to fix our broken food system

Viktoria de Bourbon de Parme, (Jan 5, 2021)

COMMENT: Viktoria de Bourbon de Parme of the World Benchmarking Alliance says greater transparency about the food sector’s environmental and social impacts is a critical first step towards transformational change

‘With the rise in home working, we need a scope 4 for GHG emissions’

Stephen Bay, (Dec 9, 2020)

COMMENT: Stephen Bay of EarthUp explains how companies that are serious about getting to net-zero must account for remote workers’ energy use

‘Investors don't understand how much climate action is needed from companies'

Wolfgang Kuhn, (Dec 9, 2020)

COMMENT: The finance profession is ill-equipped to push for the transition of critical sectors, says ShareAction’s Wolfgang Kuhn

‘We can win the war on plastic waste if we marshal the power of finance and markets’

Pedro Moura Costa, (Oct 27, 2020)

Comment: BVRio’s Pedro Moura Costa says the 3R Initiative, backed by Danone, Nestlé and Tetra Pak, has created the first global marketplace for the circular economy with the Circular Action Hub

‘The meat industry’s failure to protect workers at their time of greatest hazard will hurt us all’

Felicitas Weber, (Oct 19, 2020)

Comment: Felicitas Weber, project director at KnowTheChain, says its latest human rights benchmark exposes an epidemic of ill treatment, with suppliers to brands including McDonald's, Burger King and Walmart among the worst performers, in stark contrast to how they are rewarding shareholders

‘If companies aren't serving all stakeholders they aren't serious about sustainability'

Richard Howitt, (Sep 28, 2020)

Richard Howitt of Frank Bold LLP draws lessons from last month’s Sustainability Reporting and Communications Summit on the continuous loop of implementation and evaluation that ensures purpose is “lived” within a company

How to unlock the banking sector’s potential to address climate change

Maarten Vleeschhouwer, (Sep 25, 2020)

Comment: Maarten Vleeschhouwer of the 2° Investing Initiative and Antoni Ballabriga of BBVA look at how banks are responding to the challenge to play a central role in achieving the Paris Agreement goals

Reuters Events announces shortlist for 11th annual Responsible Business Awards

Native Ad, (Sep 8, 2020)

Kimberly Clark, ReNew Energy, Maersk, The NatWest Group, Aviva, Dow, UPS, The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, ABN AMRO are among 80+ nominees being shortlisted for this year’s Reuters Events Responsible Business Awards

Drifting towards disaster: The Ethical Corporation magazine does a deep dive into oceans

Terry Slavin, (Sep 1, 2020)

With 82% of fish being removed faster than they can repopulate and climate change and acidification reducing the oceans' ability to absorb carbon, a crucial planetary life support system is in crisis. In the September issue we assess progress on efforts to rescue oceans in some of the key battlegrounds, from over-fishing to aquaculture, blue finance, microfibre pollution and offshore renewables

ESG investors slow to make waves in the $2.5tn ocean economy

Mike Scott, (Aug 30, 2020)

While investor interest in 'blue finance' for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans is growing, challenges including the opacity of ownership of companies in the seafood sector means it is still a drop in the ocean, writes Mike Scott

From invisible hand to invisible heart: Ronald Cohen’s plan to rewire capitalism

Oliver Balch, (Aug 12, 2020)

Oliver Balch talks to the veteran British impact financier about how impact-weighted accounting would price in negative environmental and social externalities and create a virtuous race to the top

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