All articles by virginia furness
virginia furness
The end of a dark era: Leveraged finance is now embracing ESG
Privately owned companies are integrating ESG disclosure into their financing agreements at the fastest rate on record as new sustainability regulations and shifting investor demand push one of the most secret market segments to come out.
Why transition bonds have failed to make their mark
Highly polluting companies need trillions of dollars of funding to reduce their carbon emissions. Transition bonds are mooted as one solution, but investors are far from convinced.
JP Morgan holds firm on net-zero policies despite IEA’s warnings
One of the world’s most influential financiers of oil and gas remains reluctant to threaten clients with funding cuts as a means to hit net zero. The US bank argues its investment-led approach to reducing carbon intensity within sector hotspots goes far enough.
JP Morgan’s development finance institution strives to answer its doubters
The US bank has doubled down on efforts to facilitate private capital into sustainable projects in emerging markets. But its year-old development finance institution is so far finding it hard to measure the impact of such deals.
Can HSBC green the Middle East?
HSBC has its eyes on significantly growing its Middle East operations. But as the world’s largest exporter of oil, the region’s carbon footprint is entrenched. We assess whether Europe’s largest bank has the appetite to confront these issues head on.
We must all do more to tackle climate change, admits Standard Chartered
The company’s top sustainable finance bankers acknowledge the sector is guilty of not “driving enough capital” to reach net-zero targets, but say huge structural issues are a barrier for change.