The European Council announced an agreement by EU member states on the Council’s negotiating position on the Omnibus proposal to simplify and reduce sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements for companies. The Council’s agreed position targets more significant cuts to the EU’s sustainability-focused regulation than the Commission’s initial proposals, particularly for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) – which requires companies…
Goldman Sachs Asset Management has launched an ETF targeting green and social bonds across emerging markets. The Goldman Sachs Emerging Markets Green and Social Bond Active UCITS ETF invests mainly in fixed income across corporate and sovereign issuers in emerging markets, where issuers intend to allocate the proceeds for green or social contributions. The ETF, which will list on exchanges…
As London Climate Action Week gets underway, it’s time to ask a hard question: are we still on track for net zero by 2050? On the surface, the momentum is holding. Clean technology costs continue to fall — forecast to drop another 2–11% in 2025 — bringing the total cost of net zero down by an estimated 73% versus original…
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…