Elizabeth Meager is the policy editor of Capital Monitor, a position dedicated to making sense of the slew of investment and corporate regulatory changes surrounding sustainability. With a technical editorial background, Elizabeth joins the team from Euromoney where she was managing editor of IFLR, which tracks global regulatory updates for corporate finance and capital market lawyers.
Net-zero emission pledges are under growing scrutiny from investors amid worries over the gaming of carbon reporting. Governments are facing rising pressure to ensure accountability for such commitments.
The investigations by US and German financial watchdogs into $1trn asset manager DWS reflect a general tightening of regulatory criteria for funds labelled as ESG or sustainable.
Thousands of companies say they report against or otherwise align themselves with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. But where are these high-level targets failing and what more can businesses and policymakers do to help achieve them?
One-fifth – and counting – of the world’s largest companies have committed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, largely by 2050. But there is no legal or regulatory recourse if they don't, and seemingly little appetite for that to change.
The IPCC’s latest report is unequivocal: humans are warming the planet. With COP26 looming, everyone is clear that rapid policy action is required to mobilise trillions of public and private finance to reverse the damage done. We outline what policies they are.
Investors are increasingly joining the IMF, OECD and World Bank in pushing for a global system for carbon pricing. Implementing it remains politically problematic, but the ever-louder alarm bells over climate change are raising hopes it could happen.
The debate over how the fiduciary duty to seek the best returns affects ESG investing – and whether it should do – has intensified lately, with prices of both sustainable assets and many 'dirty' investments soaring.
Asset managers are labelling more funds as ‘sustainable’ amid accusations of regulator-mandated greenwashing, even as the European Commission’s SFDR update last week did little to clear up confusion over product classification.
The Energy Charter Treaty, which gives oil and gas companies a route to suing governments, is increasingly hindering climate policy reform, say campaigners. And it is not the only agreement of its type.
For natural resources such as air, water and soil to be regulated, there needs to be a way of valuing them. Governments are grappling with this issue as investors focus increasingly on SDG 15: Life on Land.
Asia's two main finance hubs are moving quickly to adopt global best practice on sustainable finance. They recognise policy certainty in this area is necessary to drive investment into companies, particularly given the region's distinct characteristics.
Industry participants welcome aspects of the EU's proposals – which were leaked last week and are due for official release tomorrow – but question, given the political landscape, whether they will materialise. Tackling greenwashing remains contentious.
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