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A cold wind is still blowing through the Swedish economy. Tight monetary policy will likely gradually impact the domestic economy and Sweden’s important trading partners. Some relief is expected once inflation falls and policy rates are lowered.
Finland’s investments in the green transition continue, with more money pouring into low-emission industrial production and electric transportation, in addition to wind power.
Central banks are still concerned about inflation, which is slowing down, but is still above the target level. Consequently, it will take time before monetary policy will be eased, and the global outlook continues to be weak.
The labour market in Sweden has been more resilient than expected, but several signs now indicate that the situation will worsen. There is reason to believe that the deterioration of the labour market will be relatively mild, but a weaker labour market will heighten uncertainties.
Economic growth was healthy in the first half of the year, but the outlook going forward is clearly weaker. Higher interest rates will continue to put pressure on consumers, and residential construction. Demand for exports has also deteriorated as global economic growth has slowed down.
As part of the ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle taxation has been significantly changed. This has led to a sharp rise in the fleet of electric cars, while the number of diesel cars has declined. Despite this increase, there is still a long way to go to fulfil the ambition of one million zero- and low-emission cars on Danish roads in 2030.
Nordea in Shanghai: A one-stop shop for Nordic companies in China
“Newcomers and other customers often find it very helpful to learn and understand the local market from a Chinese angle. We provide that local perspective and can help explain the relevant local policies and regulations,” says the branch’s general manager, Angela Tu.
Sustainable bond markets are again showing positive signs, with both global and Nordic sustainable bond volumes beating previous years during the first half of 2023. Nordic sustainable loan markets struggled in the interest rate environment of H1 2023, although Finland and Norway showed strong performance.
European Commission adopts European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS)
While many of the reporting areas initially proposed to be mandatory for corporates were diluted to voluntary before being adopted, the European Commission said it aimed to strike a balance between limiting the reporting burden on companies while enabling them to show their sustainability efforts.
Nordea continues to win top rankings in sustainable finance
Global Finance has once again recognised Nordea's sustainability leadership in its 2023 Sustainable Finance Awards. In addition to country wins for Denmark, Finland and Norway, Nordea was also named top bank for transition/sustainability-linked loans in all of Western Europe.
Beyond climate: Sustainability-linked loans embrace diverse targets
Loans linking borrowing costs to sustainability targets have surged in recent years. While sustainability-linked loans have tended to focus on climate-related goals, borrowers are increasingly going beyond climate to include social targets in their financing.
Companies large and small are turning to automation to streamline and optimise operations in their treasury and finance departments. Here are the top 10 reasons why.