Bridgewise’s AI-powered analysis toolkit adds to technologies addressing unstructured data, amid ever-growing reporting requirements. Industry experts have highlighted the key role that artificial intelligence (AI) tools can play in consolidating and enhancing ESG data, despite governance concerns marring the technology. According to estimates, up to 90% of data generated globally each day – including on sustainable finance – is unstructured….
Japan Launches Inaugural $11 Billion Climate Transition Bond Offering
The government of Japan announced the completion of its first-ever Climate Transition Bond offering, raising JPY800 billion (USD$5.3 billion) in proceeds aimed at funding efforts to support the country’s transformation to a carbon neutral economy, with a particular focus on decarbonizing hard-to-abate industrial sectors. The issuance of the 10-year bond marks the first tranche in a planned $11 billion transition…
AXA IM launches carbon transition bond fund
AXA Investment Managers has launched a global bond fund aimed at decarbonisation, with investment consulting firm Aon providing seed capital of £127m. The fund, dubbed the AXA ACT Carbon Transition Global Short Duration Bond fund, will be led by Nicolas Trindade, who currently manages near £2bn for AXA IM in global and sterling liquid fixed income funds. The actively-managed fund…
Corporate sustainability due diligence: Why the finish line is just the beginning of the race
It’s little over a month since provisional agreement was reached on the text of the highly anticipated Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Since then, the pace quickened, with the EU releasing a final draft in the past few days, in anticipation of a ratification vote, only to have the brakes applied after Estonia, Finland, Germany and Italy signalled their…
Cleantech Startup Rimere Raises $10 Million to Convert Natural Gas and Methane into Sustainable Materials
Climate solutions company Rimere announced a $10 million strategic investment from renewable natural gas (RNG) provider Clean Energy Fuels, with proceeds aimed at advancing Rimere’s solutions to convert methane and natural gas into sustainable materials, including clean hydrogen. Founded in 2020, Rimere’s sequential hybrid plasma technology breaks apart methane molecules for reconfiguration into cleaner alternatives. The company’s solutions include Reformer,…
BlackRock Expands Proxy Voting Capabilities to Individual Investors
Investment giant BlackRock announced the expansion of its Voting Choice program for the first time to individual investors, extending the program to retail investors representing approximately $200 billion assets in its iShares Core S&P 500 ETF. The move opens up the program enabling investors to control their own proxy voting choices to over three million shareholder accounts of the S&P…
Microsoft Signs Deal to Capture and Store Carbon in Recycled Concrete with Startup Neustark
Microsoft and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions provider Neustark announced today a multi-year offtake agreement, with Neustark providing Microsoft with credits from the removal of biogenic carbon from biogas plants for storage in recycled construction materials. Founded in 2019, Switzerland-based Neustark’s technology uses recycled materials such as concrete from demolished buildings as permanent storage for the CO₂ removed from the…
Liontrust adds two analysts to sustainable investment team
Liontrust has added investment analyst Connor Godsell and equity analyst Linnea Bengtsson to its sustainable investment team, to its now 18-strong team. Peter Michaelis is head of the team, which includes seven members with a fixed income focus. Godsell will join the Edinburgh office while Bengtsson will be based in London. See also: – Liontrust’s Michaelis: ‘Reporting only gets you…
Stewart Investors founds investor network to push for responsible mining
Stewart Investors has announced the launch of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) Investor Network, a collaborative engagement project of which it is founding member. The network brings together investment industry stakeholders to advance responsible sourcing and mining by giving investors access to due diligence tools and collaborative opportunities. Reflective of Stewart Investors’ commitment to promoting sustainable development, the network will…
Electric Grid Orchestration Startup Camus Energy Raises $25 Million
Power grid orchestration software provider Camus Energy announced today the closing of a $10 million extension to its Series A funding, bringing the total raised in the round to $25 million, with proceeds aimed at supporting the growth of its solutions to enable grid operators to address booming electricity demand. Founded in 2019 by CEO Astrid Atkinson, CTO Cody Smith…