All articles by Nick Herbert

Nick Herbert

Nick Herbert is a writer and editor with over 30 years of experience covering the global capital markets, and is a former publisher and Asia bureau chief of Thomson Reuters’ IFR.

A vanishing greenium

Incredible growth in the ESG bond market has presented the bond market with a new systemic risk due to the presence – or not – of a greenium.

How Co-op Bank boosted its ESG score through improved disclosure

Sustainability and good ethics have long been core to The Co-operative Bank’s business, but that was not reflected by its initial ESG score from Sustainalytics. The UK lender has rectified that through more detailed reporting, offering a cautionary tale for both companies and investors.

How a French building firm is striving to boost gender diversity

Paris-based NGE raised €500m of sustainability-linked debt, with one of the key performance indicators linked to female representation on construction sites. Executive VP Jean-Sébastien Leoni outlines the company’s rationale behind it.

Understanding KiwiRail’s landmark green loan deal

New Zealand’s state rail and ferry operator is buying two new diesel-electric ferries with the help of the first debt to be certified by the Climate Bonds Initiative. KiwiRail’s move is a step forward in decarbonising the shipping sector and progressing the country’s net-zero emissions goals.

How Norway’s local authorities go green and gain discounted funding

Norway’s local government financing agency, Kommunalbanken, is helping reduce the country’s heavy economic reliance on fossil fuels through its long-standing and fast-growing green lending programme.

Nordea grapples with balancing climate goals against client needs

The Finnish bank has set itself new sustainability targets. But it faces tricky decisions if it is to realise them, given its exposure to the key Nordic industries of shipping and fossil fuels.