Regulation

Developments come Say on Climate campaign scores victories at Nestle and Santos

ESG is reframing the financial markets within the post-pandemic investment landscape. 2021 is expected to be pivotal, after 330 new ESG funds were launched YoY in 3Q20 (source: Bloomberg). Momentum will be matched by increased scrutiny, setting higher disclosure requirements for corporate and investors. How can investors build a sustainable portfolio in the post-pandemic financial environment, leveraging current opportunities while being considerate of long-term objectives and values? What corporates should focus on in order to attract investors’ interest? Which sectors, geographies and jurisdictions are better positioned for exciting investment opportunities? How quickly and efficiently is the regulatory framework adapting to meet calls for data harmonisation? What are the solutions available to investors and companies for meeting their sustainability standards and access to robust data sets? What is the role of Artificial Intelligence in data analysis and mining? Speakers: Diana van Maasdijk, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Equileap Niels Fibæk, CEO and co-founder, Matter Tomas Thyblad, VP Head of ESG Solutions, European Markets, Nasdaq Moderator: Giada Vercelli, Director, Fitzroy Consultant

Herren Lee says investor demand for information ‘not being met by the current voluntary framework’ and floats creation of ESG standard setting body

Penalties include injunctions, warning notices and police reports

The latest developments in sustainable finance

The world’s biggest central banks are taking active steps towards driving real climate information and risk disclosure, and thinking through the incentives/disincentives in the monetary system for capital mobilisation to lower CO2 businesses, projects and investments. The Bank of England has confirmed its inaugural climate stress testing to take place in July 2021. The Bank of Canada is working on improving country-specific climate scenario modeling towards the end of 2021. And the green central banking group, the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) is amplifying its work across global jurisdictions. However, the challenges with disclosure, data and definitions remain, and there are calls for central banks to become more active by clearly focusing stimulus and allocating their own reserves towards the green transition. Responsible Investor, in partnership with MSCI, will explore the vital role of central banks in fighting the climate crisis by using their ability to standardise, regulate and mobilise capital in support of a sustainable net zero economy. Questions this webinar will ask include: How is Central Bank climate risk activity so far impacting the activity of corporates and investors? Will mandatory climate disclosure fill the data gap and enable central banks to get a comprehensive picture of climate change risk across the financial system? - What are the challenges here? How could monetary and micro/macroprudential policies be used to support the transition to a net-zero economy? Has the climate emergency convinced central banks to mobilise their own reserves for green investment/promotion? Speakers: Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer, Aviva Investors Chris Faint, Head of Division, Bank of England David Lunsford, Head of Climate Policy and Strategy, MSCI Moderator: Vibeka Mair, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor

Under intense lobbying fire, a Eurosif paper busts some myths on the EU’s taxonomy, and indirectly poses some bigger questions

EFRAG group makes more than 50 recommendations ahead of update to Non-Financial Reporting Directive

Mervyn King, Paul Polman, Kerrie Waring, Bob Moritz and Gilbert Van Hassel lead the call for business and finance to support EU efforts to reform corporate governance rules

The roles and responsibilities of the financial sector are yet to be determined