4 days agoRFI releases financed emissions report and open-access databaseThe RFI Foundation has released a report and database with estimates of financed emissions across 11 OIC markets in a continuation of our focus on improving financial institutions’ ability to address climate change. The urgent need for this type of resource is reinforced by the conclusions of the Global Stocktake…Climate Change3 min readClimate Change3 min read
Sep 18The Global Stocktake offers a wake-up call for financial institutions working towards long-term climate targetsA Global Stocktake to update on the world’s progress towards goals set down in the Paris Agreement shows notable ambition, although not enough ambition or follow-through to keep on a 1.5° C trajectory. One of the upcoming milestones required to stay on track is for the world to reach peak…Climate Change3 min readClimate Change3 min read
Sep 7The investors underpinning the greeniumNew research has identified one of the sources of the ‘greenium’ seen in green bond issuance among institutional investors, especially pension funds and mutual funds. The study used a database of European bond holdings and compared the sensitivity of different types of investors to changes in market conditions. Among the…Green Bond2 min readGreen Bond2 min read
Aug 31Resetting expectations for ESGFollowing the onset of Covid-19, ESG became a hot topic as the ‘next big thing’. With that growth, it attracted both pretenders and detractors. The change in the tone of reporting about ESG has led to some hand-wringing about its future. A UK-based portfolio manager broke down the issue into…Esg3 min readEsg3 min read
Aug 18Shari’ah screens complement ESG integration by investors in Emerging MarketsIn a new report released with Refinitiv, the RFI Foundation has extended analysis done earlier with INCEIF to investigate the impact of combining Shariah and ESG screens. The new research applies the same methodology and data source with more recent figures covering the period immediately prior to the start of…Esg2 min readEsg2 min read
Aug 10FinTech Startups Adopting Responsible Finance & ESG Integration in MENAT: Lessons from the GVI Hub’s 5th CohortThe RFI Foundation has successfully concluded our 5th GVI Hub Responsible Finance FinTech Program (RFTP) for the MENAT region. During the program, FinTech participants engaged in collaborative sessions to share their insights and experiences in integrating responsible finance and sustainability in their operations. We congratulate the members of the cohort…Esg2 min readEsg2 min read
Jul 17Financial institutions may be lulled into complacency by climate stress testsModels used for scenario analysis by financial institutions carry assumptions, judgments and limitations that are often not considered thoroughly enough in assessing the outputs. In addition to regulatory climate stress tests, financial institutions should factor in the possibility that the cost of not rapidly transitioning to Net Zero will be…Climate Change5 min readClimate Change5 min read
Jul 6Is it possible to define criteria for Net Zero credibility for financial institutions?A new SBTi consultation document proposes some key criteria to define the credibility of financial institutions’ Net Zero plans. Although helpfully focusing on reconciling the sometimes contradictory standards for measuring financed and facilitated emissions, SBTi also clearly outlines some of the biggest challenges for implementing and evaluating credibility. SBTi’s document…Climate Change4 min readClimate Change4 min read
Jun 5New guidance on nature targets will increase finance for the ‘blue economy’The rapid growth in focus on nature, in addition to climate, is challenging financial institutions and technology is critical to offering finance for these new challenges. The RFI Foundation’s Blue Finance Challenge is focused on finding technology to help financial institutions in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkiye to…Blue Economy4 min readBlue Economy4 min read
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. RFI launched the Blue Finance Challenge with HSBC to find technology…Nature Risk4 min readNature Risk4 min read
