All articles by virginia furness
virginia furness
Comparing the big French banks’ carbon targets
The four largest French banks by assets are taking steps to cut their exposure to oil and gas, but data gaps make it hard to determine what their climate targets actually tell us.
Exclusive: Standard Chartered cuts ties with coal miner Adaro
The British lender has ended its relationship with Indonesia’s biggest coal miner after implementing a tighter lending policy on mining and power companies and amid sustained pressure from campaign groups.
Standard Chartered’s climate vote: A bank bellwether?
Standard Chartered is seeking to understand why 17% of its shareholders voted against its climate plan last month, amid rising opposition to such proposals. In any case, the bank has no plans to change tack, says global head of sustainability strategy Simon Connell.
How Egypt’s sovereign fund plans to green the country’s strategic infrastructure
Egypt’s ambition to become a green energy hub requires substantial private sector investment, a role its sovereign wealth fund takes seriously.
Policymakers flag fears over ESG (in)action, data and standards
The inaugural sustainable finance conference of the Association of Financial Markets in Europe took place this month in Amsterdam. Capital Monitor went along to take the temperature on various key issues and encountered some big concerns.
BNP Paribas sets red lines for oil and gas funding
Financing oil majors remains at the heart of the French bank’s climate strategy, and there are certain exclusionary steps it will not take. Its corporate social responsibility chief explains why.
Debt crisis: How nature can help emerging markets
Cash-poor but nature-rich countries can use debt-for-nature swaps to reduce their debt service payments and conserve their natural capital. There has been renewed push behind such transactions, including from the UN, but are they a viable option for the growing number of developing nations facing debt distress?
Clean tech: Are females excluded from green economy?
PE and VC investment in climate tehnology is accelerating, but the same growth rates are not being experienced by female-led businesses. Capital Monitor looks at clean tech funding to find out more.
Why repairing nature isn’t just a job for finance quants
Financial engineers are busy developing models and products to put a price on natural capital and help address biodiversity loss, but it is hard to scale up such complex and niche structures, argue experts. Others say such arguments are missing the point.
How climate action can help address gender inequality
Climate action that fails to incorporate a gender lens risks exacerbating gender inequality in employment and investment, argue various studies. But ‘gender-smart’ climate finance can help close such gaps, say development finance institutions.