May 22Nature-related disclosures will widen data gaps in the financial sector that technology will be critical in fillingFinancial institutions play an important role in responding to climate and nature risks in the economy, but the rapid speed at which they need to operate can make it hard to stay on top of the information they need. …Nature Risk4 min readNature Risk4 min read
May 14Emerging market banks are highly vulnerable to nature riskHalf of financing provided by emerging & developing country banks is dependent on ecosystem services, making nature risk potentially more wide-ranging than climate risks. In addition to being significant on their own, nature and climate risks are mutually reinforcing. …Nature Risk5 min readNature Risk5 min read
Apr 30FinTech startups need a responsible finance strategy to help avoid pitfalls as they navigate ESGESG is on its way to ubiquity because of the operational benefits it can provide to companies. However, its growth comes with the complication of the wide range of information and topics that matter to different stakeholders. …Esg6 min readEsg6 min read
Apr 21Climate disclosures heighten the risk to companies that aren’t planning financing for their transitions todayWhether they know it or not, more-emissions-intensive companies have less access to bank financing. Greater transparency on their full emissions value chains will make their access to finance and the costs they have to pay more sensitive to their emission footprints, especially for companies for which indirect emissions footprints are…Climate Risk5 min readClimate Risk5 min read
Apr 9The new ASEAN Taxonomy incorporates a ‘coal phase-out’ classification to support more transition financeThe second version of the ASEAN Taxonomy tries to balance the complexities in the climate transition, especially how taxonomies can bring in important ‘transition‘ finance elements to accelerate the pace of transition. The ASEAN Taxonomy addresses this through a novel, although not necessarily uncontroversial, incorporation of ‘coal phase-out’ as green…Climate Change5 min readClimate Change5 min read
Mar 22Recalibrating responsible financeIndicators used to measure progress in addressing challenges such as climate change and nature loss can be counter-productive if the metrics themselves become the focus. …Climate Change5 min readClimate Change5 min read
Mar 10Do Islamic banking customers hold the keys for sustainability in Islamic finance?A survey of retail banking customers of Islamic banks shows wide-scale enthusiasm for sustainability and a belief that Islamic finance aligns well with the SDGs. However, the challenges posed by ESG risks and concerns about greenwashing make it increasingly urgent that Islamic banks maintain customer confidence. …Islamic Finance5 min readIslamic Finance5 min read
Mar 3Malaysia’s updated sustainable & responsible funds regulation tackles common concerns in ESGThe connection between funds’ names and their sustainability strategies continues to be a hot-button issue for regulators tackling greenwashing. One of the most challenging elements is that of measurement when comparing a fund’s activities with either its own strategy or a common reference point. …Malaysia5 min readMalaysia5 min read
Feb 21Credible transition plans are in short supply, and that’s a problem for Net Zero financial institutionsFinancial institutions’ credibility on Net Zero is largely outside of their direct control because of the importance of their customers’ own transition plans. …Climate Change5 min readClimate Change5 min read
Feb 9Incomplete transition plans bury wider climate risks to financial institutionsGaps in high-emitting and hard-to-abate companies’ transition plans make it harder for financial institutions and investors to understand how the broader value chain may be impacted by the success or failure of a few key transition plans. This risk is accentuated if there is tunnel vision focused on high-emitting sectors…Transition Plan5 min readTransition Plan5 min read
