Transition finance: Funding the shift to a green economy
Transition finance is one of the most hotly debated topics within sustainable finance. Nordea's Sustainable Finance Advisory team shares its view on the current state of transition finance and where it's headed.
Sustainability-linked bonds: The investor perspective
Interest in sustainability-linked bonds has surged among issuers, but how do investors feel about the innovative new format? Nordea Sustainable Finance Advisory has taken a deep dive, exploring investor reactions as well as the results of a recent investor survey on the SLB format.
Science-based targets – The new ‘must have’ in sustainable finance?
As momentum in the sustainable finance space picks up, more and more companies are committing to increasingly ambitious sustainability targets. Greenhouse-gas-related targets in particular are in vogue and, with that, a focus on aligning them with the Paris Agreement and the Science-Based Targets (SBT) initiative. In this article, we look at the corporate take-up of SBTs and ask, what is next?
The Swedish local government funding agency, Kommuninvest, recently launched a social sustainability loan offering for its members. This innovative new product, developed in collaboration with members to promote social sustainability throughout Sweden, finances investments with solid potential to address local challenges. Nordea’s Sustainable Finance Advisory team spoke to Björn Bergstrand, Head of Sustainability at Kommuninvest, to find out more about the agency’s social loan journey.
03 May,
The final EU Taxonomy and next steps in sustainable finance
The European Commission has adopted its final screening criteria under the EU taxonomy, a framework for classifying green investments. Nordea's experts share their reflections on the landmark rules and what to focus on in sustainable finance going forward.
The Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation takes effect: What to expect
The Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), effective from 10 March 2021, imposes new transparency and disclosure requirements on financial market participants at both the product and entity level. The regulation is part of a broader wave of EU legislation that aims to stamp out greenwashing and reorient capital flows towards sustainable investment.
Using the financial markets to close the gender gap
The importance of gender equality is getting a lot of attention, not least from the financial markets. That was the message at a recent fireside chat from the 2021 SHE Conference, featuring Heike Reichelt from the World Bank Treasury and Elin Ljung from Nordic Capital.
Companies face growing pressure to set science-based climate targets
Europe’s largest asset manager Amundi has announced that it will push companies to adopt science-based targets verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The move highlights growing pressure from investors for companies to release specific emission-reduction targets aligned with the Paris Agreement. What are science-based targets, and how can companies adopt them?
Do green bonds perform better than non-green ones? Andreas Zsiga, chief analyst in Nordea Credit Research, recently examined that question. He discusses his findings and the outlook for green premiums going forward.
Financial stakeholders are key to shipping’s green transition
Andrew Stephens, Executive Director of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative, kicked off Nordea's online Sustainable Finance and Shipping Forum on 20 January. He shares his thoughts on the transformational impact of ESG and sustainable finance on the shipping industry.
The sustainable loan market: A snapshot of recent developments
Since the publication of the Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles in 2019, global sustainability-linked loan volumes have shot past green loan levels. Sustainability-linked loans provide a good complement to green loans for companies pushing a broader sustainability strategy and are a relevant alternative for entities within sectors that are not green by nature.
Investments that reduce food loss and waste can deliver two big wins: improving food security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Bank, which recently issued two bonds to raise awareness of the issue.