Building on Part A of our analysis of regulatory developments on climate, sustainability and ESG in financial services, Part B looks at how financial institutions (FIs) are adapting to the changing regulatory environment and more nuanced regional and stakeholder demands in APAC. Public-private partnerships and innovative finance mechanisms are playing an increasingly important role in […]
With the return of the Trump administration, the US has moved beyond rhetoric to policy in its backlash against climate action, corporate sustainability, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks, including withdrawal from multilateral efforts such as the Paris Agreement. Climate regulations are being rolled back, and ESG investing is often portrayed as ideological overreach; […]
Last year, the European Union (EU) adopted the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), a landmark legislative initiative designed to curb the import and sale of goods linked to deforestation. The EUDR targets soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, and coffee, as well as their derived products. Exporting countries will be categorised by deforestation risk levels, and businesses […]
1. What is COP28? In this look-ahead post, we provide a brief guide to COP28, the key issues and items of agenda headed into the event. COP (“conference of the parties”) takes place every year and is the world’s only multilateral decision-making forum on climate change, attracting high-level global participation and interest. Each COP seeks […]
The COP28 summit in Dubai is taking place against a challenging geopolitical backdrop and an economic context not conducive to keeping global emissions in check. Despite this, the UAE Presidency is focused on achieving a solid result and hopes that significant commitments can be unlocked from high-emitting sectors, including upstream oil and gas. Progress through […]
The slightly dampened momentum we saw on green finance over the course of 2022 is unlikely to shift materially this year as governments continue to grapple with economic and inflationary pressures. The stronger focus on energy security opposed to climate action is leading to a gradual loosening of sustainability requirements. This is challenging for businesses […]
Key points Strong demand comes with a price The Autumn Statement contained unwelcome news for the electric vehicle industry. From 2025 – for the first time – EVs will be subject to standard Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and the ‘expensive car supplement’ (for vehicles with a list price of over £40,000). Company car tax rates […]
Following a relatively chaotic two weeks, the COP27 summit in Egypt concluded with the Sharm El Sheikh Implementation Plan agreed on the 19th of November. There were some major breakthroughs – such as a new funding mechanism to help countries deal with the impacts of climate change. But there was little tangible progress in accelerating […]
The new political priorities of the Truss administration – driving economic growth and boosting energy security – are already leading to significant changes on UK sustainability policy. These new priorities will create opportunities for the sustainability agenda – for example, by accelerating the delivery of renewables as a means of expanding domestic capacity. However, they […]
