ESG

ESG stands for environmental, social and governance, and refers to the three key factors widely used to evaluate how companies, countries and other actors contribute to sustainable development

Giant euro sign in front of the ECB tower

Sustainable finance

ECB’s journey to decarbonise its corporate bonds holdings: an update

The European Central Bank (ECB) has committed to strengthening its efforts to combat climate change. With upcoming monetary policy set to dampen the effect of the bank’s existing flow-based approach to decarbonising its corporate bond holdings, we take a look at the proposed stock-based approach and assess progress so far.

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EU_flag_trees_1920x1080

Sustainable finance

European Green Bond Standard: Implications of the provisional agreement

Negotiators from the European Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement last week on a European Green Bond standard. While we are encouraged that the standard brings more clarity to green definitions and transparency to the market, it remains important to ensure sufficient incentives for the standard to become the preferred route for issuers.

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Windmills and power plant

Sustainable finance

4 hot-button issues that will shape ESG in 2023

The past year brought no shortage of headlines when it comes to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Nordea's Head of ESG Research Marco Kisic reflects on the top ESG debates to watch in 2023.

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Hand holding crystal ball in forest

Sustainable finance

What to expect from the sustainable finance market in 2023

As sustainability becomes more mainstream, we expect 2022’s focus on awareness and harmonisation to give way to a focus on implementation and execution. We outline out three key trends for 2023.

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Man with young girl pointing at windmills

Sustainable finance

Sustainable finance markets: 2022, a year in charts

In a year that was unstable in many ways, the sustainable finance market demonstrated promising resilience. The Nordic sustainable bond market proved relatively more stable than the global market, experiencing 3% year-on-year growth compared to a contraction of 23% year-on-year globally. We outline the developments in some key charts below.

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Field in Denmark

ESG

Nordea included in the S&P Sustainability Yearbook for the first time

An improved score in S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment has resulted in Nordea’s inclusion in the S&P Sustainability Yearbook 2023, one of the world’s most important publications of ESG ratings.

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Voting box

Active ownership

Nordea gets high ranking on how we practise active ownership within ESG

Being an active owner is a central part of Nordea’s work with sustainability and ESG practices and in the latest “Voting Matters” report from the NGO ShareAction we’re ranked number one in the Nordics and 11 worldwide.

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Young businessman with cell phone looking out of window

ESG

Value-based investing important to Nordic investors

A Nordic survey shows that it’s the opportunity to invest in accordance with one’s own values that is most important when private investors choose to invest sustainably.

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People in a circle with hands in the center

Sustainable finance

Social impact is back in focus. Here’s how to translate it into financing

When it comes to financing structures focused on social impact, the vast majority currently incorporate gender diversity targets as the social KPI, in part due to the availability of established and comparable data. Looking ahead, we expect a wider range of social targets to be reported on and included in sustainable financing where material.

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Aerial view of rural road in yellow and orange autumn forest

Sustainable finance

Ability or ambition: How to speed up progress on biodiversity

We must overcome commitment fatigue and resource constraints if we are to make meaningful progress in understanding and limiting biodiversity risks, argues Nordea Sustainable Finance Advisory’s David Ray.

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Bee on a flower

Sustainable finance

Biodiversity: The next frontier in sustainable finance

The World Bank’s recent issuance of a sustainable development bond raising awareness for biodiversity highlights investors’ growing interest in the issue. Biodiversity loss is directly linked to climate change, both reinforcing each other, with their interaction amplifying the risk of reaching planetary tipping points.

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Panel at the Nordea Sustainability Summit featuring Alasdair Ross, Harald Mix, Lise Kingo and Graeme Lamb

Sustainability

How profit and sustainability can go hand in hand

Leaders from the worlds of business, government and international development gathered at the Nordea Sustainability Summit to discuss the biggest challenge and greatest investment opportunity of our time – saving the planet.

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