Articles by Lawrence White, Sinead Cruise and Simon Jessop

Financial Risks of Climate Change Are Exaggerated: Senior HSBC Banker

Central bank policymakers and other global authorities are exaggerating the financial risks of climate change, a senior HSBC banker in charge of sustainable investments said in remarks that drew criticism from climate activists. The bank said his views did not …

Russia’s War With Ukraine Must Not Derail Climate Action: Envoys Warn

The world needs to speed up decarbonization and not let a focus on energy security in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine derail the drive to a low-carbon economy to avert disastrous climate change, leading climate envoys said on …

Financial Services Firms Face Losses of $225B From Variety of Water Risks: Report

Financial institutions face losses of at least $225 billion from risks related to water, with a third of them doing nothing to assess the potential impact, a report by leading environmental disclosure platform CDP and Planet Tracker estimates. The U.N. …

Allianz Plans to Take Harder Line on Insuring Fossil Fuel Industry to Meet Climate Goals

Europe’s biggest insurer Allianz plans to take a harder line on insuring the oil and gas industry as part of efforts to align its underwriting policies with the world’s climate goal, the company said on Friday. The move is the …

Credit Suisse Investors Push for Faster Climate Action

A group of Credit Suisse investors pushing for faster climate action at the Swiss bank has more than doubled in size, raising pressure on its board ahead of its annual shareholder meeting on Friday. Credit Suisse, along with other major …

As Climate Disclosures Toughen, Corporate Laggards May Be Vulnerable to Lawsuits

A push by Britain to toughen up corporate environmental disclosures will cast a spotlight on climate change dawdlers as campaigners increasingly turn to the courts to force a speedier transition to a low-carbon economy. Almost 2,000 climate change-related lawsuits have …

Amazon Faces Shareholder Vote on Treatment of Warehouse Workers

Follows SEC backing for vote after guidance change Filed by retail activist platform Tulipshare Amazon.com Inc., the world’s biggest retailer, will face a shareholder vote calling for an independent audit of its treatment of warehouse workers after the top U.S. …

Swiss Re to Reduce Cover for Oil, Gas Operations

Swiss Re, the world’s second biggest reinsurer, said it would increase the number of oil and gas producers for which it refuses cover, following mounting pressure on big business to help the drive to curb a global temperature rise. In …

Group Vows to Hold Shell Directors Personally Liable for Alleged Climate Plan Failure

LONDON — Environmental lawyers ClientEarth said on Tuesday they were preparing legal action against the directors of Shell over the company’s climate transition plan, in what they said would be the first such case of its kind. The ClientEarth lawyers …

Swiss Re, Allianz, Other European Financial Services Firms Turn Their Backs on Russia

Allianz and Swiss Re said on Monday they were cutting back on Russian business as European financial institutions turn their backs on Russia. The German insurer and Swiss reinsurer join banks Deutsche, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase which have exited …