Articles by Virginia Furness and Simon Jessop

ING Becomes First Globally Important Bank to Meet Climate Watchdog Standards

ING has become the first systemically important global bank to have its climate goals validated as being in line with efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the body responsible for awarding the standard said on Wednesday. The …

US SEC Will Not Defend Climate Rule in Court

The acting chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday signaled the regulator may roll back a controversial rule requiring thousands of public companies to disclose the threats their businesses face from risks related to the climate and …

Update: Auditors Get Tougher Guidelines on Judging Firms’ Environmental Claims

International auditors have been given new guidance on what to check when assessing firms’ environmental, social and governance claims – and how – as part of efforts to increase rigor and consistency, the chair of the industry’s global ethics watchdog …

Goldman Sachs Quits Global Climate Coalition for Banks

Goldman Sachs said it has quit a sector coalition aimed at aligning bank lending and investment activities with global efforts to fight climate change, marking the latest high-profile departure of a U.S. financial firm from the group. The U.S. investment …

Lloyd’s of London Must Stop Supporting Fossil Fuel Expansion, NGO Says

The Lloyd’s of London market is undermining climate action and should impose binding rules to prevent insurers supporting fossil fuel expansion, NGO Reclaim Finance said on Wednesday. Some European insurers, including Generali and Zurich, have imposed restrictions on underwriting for …

Right-Wing Political Tilt in Countries Across Globe Will Not Derail Climate Action

A political tilt to the right in Europe and a potential Trump presidency in the U.S. will not derail climate efforts as businesses are increasingly locked into green strategies, delegates at London Climate Action Week heard. A big election year, …

Investor Climate Group Sets Target for Assets in Private Equity, Debt

The world’s leading group of asset owners committed to turning their investment portfolios green said on Thursday it had set guidance for private assets for the first time and would also look to improve assessment of emissions tied to sovereign …

Finance Firms Managing $136T in Assets Urge Boards for More Environmental Data

Financial institutions managing $136 trillion in assets will this week call on companies to share more data on their environmental impact, the chair of disclosure platform CDP told Reuters. In a letter to the boards of over 15,000 companies, 746 …

African Insurers Pledge $14 Billion of Cover for Climate Disaster Risks

A group of over 85 insurers in Africa has pledged to create a financing facility to provide $14 billion of cover to help the continent’s most vulnerable communities deal with climate disaster risks such as floods and droughts. The commitment …

Group of Financial Services Firms Calls for G20 Governments to Detail Climate Plans

A coalition of financial firms led by former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has called on G20 governments to raise their climate ambitions and set out more detailed plans to decarbonize their economies. The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net …