Day: 3 December 2021

HSBC UK launches £500M Green SME Fund

Stuart Mitchell

HSBC UK has announced the launch of a £500m Green SME Fund as part of its commitment to support businesses of all sizes to transition and thrive in a low carbon economy. This follows HSBC’s global commitment to provide between USD750 billion and USD1 trillion of financing and investment to support its customers over the next 10 years. While the sustainable finance market has predominately focused on larger corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises are increasingly being described as the ‘new front’ in the battle against climate change. The new £500m…

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Atos announces the successful placement of its inaugural €800 million sustainability-linked bond

Stuart Mitchell

Atos has announced the successful placement of its first sustainability-linked bond issue for an aggregate amount of €800 million with an 8-year maturity and a 1.0% coupon. The coupon of the last 3 years will be unchanged if Atos achieves the following Sustainability Performance Target (SPT): reduction in 2025 of Atos’ annual GreenHouse Gas CO2 emissions (Scopes 1, 2 & 3) by 50% compared to 2019. This target is aligned with the most demanding objective of the Science-Based Target initiative (SBTi), which aims to keep global warming at 1.5°C. In…

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New Joint ILO-IFC Programme Launched with support of EU in the Apparel Industry in Madagascar

Stuart Mitchell

Industry leaders launched the Better Work Madagascar programme recently to transform the country’s apparel industry by improving working conditions and business productivity. The programme, a collaborative effort between International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Finance Corporation (IFC) with support from the European Union (EU) and partners from the government, employers’ and workers’ organizations and global brands, will contribute to the creation of decent employment and inclusive growth. Garment production is the economy’s main driver of growth in exports and formal employment creation in Madagascar, contributing to a third of total…

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Carbon Trust to take core role in new initiative to accelerate the transition away from coal power to clean energy

Stuart Mitchell

The Coal Asset Transition Accelerator (CATA) was officially announced at COP26 in Glasgow by Laurence Tubiana, CEO and President of the European Climate Foundation (ECF). CATA is a first-of-its-kind platform focused on leveraging finance to accelerate the coal transition globally. CATA will empower key local stakeholders – governments, utilities, coal asset owners, financiers, and civil society organisations – with cutting-edge analyses, leading expertise, and a suite of tools and resources to transition from coal to clean energy.  The Carbon Trust will partner with Climate Smart Ventures (CSV), the RMI (formerly…

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Ikea pre-launch of new guide to unlock business action on air pollution

Stuart Mitchell

IKEA and partners are introducing a practical guide for businesses on how to measure air pollution across value chains. The guide will support companies to understand their impact on air quality and to take necessary actions to reduce their emissions. The guide is being developed by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition and Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), in co-operation with IKEA with the ambition to contribute to better health for people and the planet. Reducing air pollution is more important now than ever before. Today, air pollution is shortening the…

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