By MainStreet Partners’ Jaime Diaz-Rio Varez. As the climate clock ticks ever louder, green bonds — long considered the flagship instrument of sustainable finance — may be ready for their next evolution. In 2025, the green, social and sustainability (GSS) bond market surpassed the remarkable milestone of $5.5trn in total issuance, with green bonds making up around 55% of the total. The…

Alternative asset management firm Ares announced today that its alternative credit arm, Ares Management Alternative Credit funds signed a new agreement with Italian energy company Eni to acquire a 20% stake in Plenitude, Eni’s renewables, retail and EV charging company. The transaction is being made for a total value of approximately €2 billion (USD$2.3 billion), corresponding to an equity valuation of…

Volkswagen AG’s vehicle financing business Volkswagen Bank announced that it has raised €1.5 billion through its first-ever green bond issuance. According to Volkswagen Bank, demand for the offering was strong, with more than 170 investors taking part in a virtual roadshow for the deal, and with the transaction drawing demand of €6.6 billion. The issuance was comprised of a 3-year…

Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) announced that it has invested $30 million in energy sector-focused methane management solutions provider Insight M, leading a growth equity funding round in the company. The investment was made through MSIM’s 1GT, its climate solutions-focused private equity strategy, targeting the elimination of 1 gigaton of CO2 emissions by 2050. Rapid reduction in methane emissions is…

Singapore’s Ministry of Trade (MTI), National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) and government agency and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) announced the release of Draft Guidance on Voluntary Carbon Market, aimed at guiding companies on the use of carbon credits as part of their decarbonization plans. According to MTI, NCCS and EnterpriseSG, the new publication follows feedback received from industry engagements, on the…

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) announced the launch of its new Sustainability Taxonomy, offering a machine-readable version of its GRI standards, aimed at facilitating faster data collection and submission of sustainability disclosures, and enhanced interoperability with other sustainability reporting standards. GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards are one of the most commonly accepted global standards for sustainability reporting by companies, developed to…

Financial services firms Aviva, Legal & General and Prudential are among the top companies in the UK for managing and reporting on workplace mental health.  The latest CCLA Corporate Mental Health Benchmark – UK 100 has found Aviva is a ‘top improver, climbing two tiers in the benchmark to the second tier, while Legal & General and Prudential have moved up one tier…

This week in ESG news: EU’s EFRAG set to reduce CSRD sustainability reporting datapoints by 50%; Australia launches sustainable finance taxonomy; U.S. SEC drops anti-greenwashing rules for funds; EU Commission to withdraw anti-greenwashing regulations; Amazon buys sustainable fuel for cargo flights; Goldman Sachs launches new sustainable bond funds; IFRS launches sustainability reporting education course; France targets environmental impact of fast…

The European Commission revealed on Friday that it plans to withdraw the Green Claims Directive just days prior to trilogue negotiations to finalize the proposed rules aimed at protecting consumers from greenwashing claims about the environmental attributes of products and services, following objections from lawmakers that brought its ability to be adopted into doubt. Following a question about the Commission’s…

Canadian institutional investor, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (La Caisse, formerly CDPQ), announced a new sustainable investing target, aiming to reach $400 billion in “climate action” investments by the end of this decade. The pledge, unveiled as part of La Caisse’s 2025–2030 climate strategy, marks a major acceleration in the asset owner’s efforts to drive global decarbonization and…