Mitsubishi Corporation buys stake in OVO
OVO has announced a strategic investment from Mitsubishi Corporation for a 20 per cent stake in the business and will use the proceeds to expand into new markets across Europe and Asia Pacific and accelerate the development of its intelligent energy technologies unit, Kaluza.
Mitsubishi Corporation buys stake in OVO
OVO has announced a strategic investment from Mitsubishi Corporation for a 20 per cent stake in the business and will use the proceeds to expand into new markets across Europe and Asia Pacific and accelerate the development of its intelligent energy technologies unit, Kaluza.
Investors want weapons manufacturers out of indices
Over 140 asset managers, asset owners, wealth managers and service providers from across the globe representing $6.8trin investor funds have come together to demand Index providers to remove controversial weapons from mainstream indices.
Controversial equities underperform benchmarks
US and European equities rated as controversial underperform their benchmarks according to research conducted by Ossiam into the behaviour of stocks connected with environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.
Zouk nets Infrastructure Investment Fund
Zouk Capital has been announced as the preferred bidder for the Government’s Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF) and is entering into exclusive negotiations to manage the fund.
First Southeast Asian green infrastructure bond
IFC has committed an investment of $75m in the first-ever listed green bond issued by AC Energy Finance International, anchoring a $300m green bond. This is the first infrastructure-focused green bond to be publicly listed in Southeast Asia and helps open up more financing for renewable energy projects in the Asia Pacific region.
Measuring investment impacts
Finding an agreed measure for impact from investment has long been an issue, but the Investment Leaders Group (ILG) has now developed a framework that could enable a revolution in consumer choice in financial services.
Verizon greens its borrowing
US telecommunications company Verizon has announced a $1bn green bond to support sustainability initiatives.
Largest sovereign wealth fund focussed on ESG
Norges Bank Investment Manager (NBIM), which manages the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, has revealed that it held 1,500 company meetings last year on the ESG issues with companies as it seeks to increase the pressure on companies to protect the environment.
CDP recognises supply chain work
BT, Nestle, Honda and Alphabet are among over 120 companies recognised by environmental disclosure platform CDP for their work to reduce emissions and environmental risks in their supply chain.
Investec launches sustainable fund
The Investec UK Sustainable Equity Fund has been launched, focussed on positive impact. The fund will invest primarily in the shares issued by UK companies deemed to be making a positive contribution to society and/or the environment through sustainable and socially responsible practices, products and/or services.
Universities making steel industry carbon neutral
A seven-year programme will include three universities working with steelmakers to make steel manufacturing carbon neutral.
UK government plans new recycling regime and plastic tax
The UK Government has published proposals for changes in waste management, including making businesses pay for the full cost of recycling or disposing of packaging waste, introduction of a consistent kerbside recycling scheme across England, a deposit return scheme for cans and bottles; and a tax on plastic packaging that contains less than 30 per cent of recyclable material content, to be introduced from 2022.
EU pledges 30 per cent truck and bus carbon emission cut by 2030
The EU has made a provisional commitment to reduce CO2 emissions from new trucks and buses by 30 per cent compared to current levels before 2030, as part of its overall commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It has set an interim target of a 15 per cent reduction by 2025 and will seek to create new incentives for manufacturers to build low and zero emission trucks.
UK leads decarbonisation – but more to be done
A report written by E4tech and Imperial College London and published by Drax Group outlines energy use and sources globally and ranks 25 major world economies on their efforts to transition to clean energy.
Renewables largest source of power generation by 2040
BP’s annual Energy Outlook has been published, setting out the global energy markets to 2040. The report predicts the need for more whilst also undertaking a rapid transition to a lower-carbon future. The report also considers greater regulation of plastics.
New wind energy record
National Grid has confirmed that wind energy generation hit a new high of 15.32GW on 8 February beating the previous record of 15.04GW set on 18 December 2018. The result comes as the Hornsea One windfarm on the Yorkshire coast will start supplying power to the UK grid.
Tidal barrier built to combat climate change
A £67.4 million tidal flood barrier in Ipswich has been officially opened offering protection for 1,600 homes and 400 businesses.
Drax captures carbon
The first carbon dioxide capture has been made at Drax Power Station in its bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) pilot, with the project potentially enabling the first negative emissions power station.
Iceland Foods commits £1m to Alzheimer's Research UK
Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation is to donate £1m to dementia research, as Alzheimer's Research UK is announced as its new charity partner for 2019.
UK and Germany lead offshore wind growth
Europe installed 2.6 GW of new offshore wind energy capacity in 2018, according to statistics released today by WindEurope - an 18 per cent increase in Europe’s offshore wind capacity.
Eleven EU States now achieving 2020 targets
The share of energy from renewable sources in the EU reached 17.5 per cent in 2017, rising 0.5 per cent from 2016 and more than double that of 2004, the first year for which data is available.
More than half of companies still have no carbon emission reduction target: CDP
More than half (53 per cent) of 859 major companies disclosing environmental performance data to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) still have no overall carbon emissions reduction target. Almost half (47 per cent) do now reward senior management for managing climate-related risks; and one in four link management incentives to climate-related targets.
Green growth under Paris
The successful transition towards a low-carbon economy, as defined by the Paris Climate Agreement, is projected to result in a 1.1 per cent growth in GDP, and a 0.5 per cent growth in employment in the EU between now and 2030 according to EU Agency Eurofound.
Hermes research on risk of ignoring Shareholder Rights Directive
Hermes Investment Management has surveyed investors across Europe and found that there is a growing risk of these investors ignoring their responsibilities as stewards.
Worrld We Want
With an international team based in the UK, India, Hong Kong, and the UAE, Worrld We Want (WWW) has been launched in response to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ warning at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos 2019 that the world’s problems are becoming more ‘integrated’ but its responses more ‘fragmented’ and ‘dysfunctional’.
Climate at a critical stage
Human impact on the environment has reached a critical stage, potentially eroding the conditions upon which socioeconomic stability is possible and the window of opportunity to avoid catastrophic outcomes in societies around the world is rapidly closing.
Chevron to follow BP on climate change pay
Oil major Chevron has published an update describing the company’s approach to managing climate change risks and will follow BP in linking results to executive pay.
Conversations with investors
Ceres has published a report with insight into how companies can better capitalise on the opportunities to credibly present sustainability as a driver of business value and communicate with investors.
Measuring and monitoring the workforce
ShareAction’s Workforce Disclosure Initiative (WDI) has reported that it has now had exchanges with over 240 companies headquartered in 23 countries regarding the measuring, monitoring and caring for their workforce.
Hermes improves working conditions
Delivery firm Hermes and union GMB have agreed on a deal that will improve the working conditions for its couriers, giving them paid holiday and guaranteed wage rates.
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