A broader approach to ESG
22 February 2021
In response to market developments and the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, NRW.BANK adapted its approach to capital markets and environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives this year.
Frank Richter outlines key milestones for the German lender, including the issuance of the bank s first social bond and a revision of its Green Bond Framework
Last year was a remarkable year in many ways. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have had to weather many changes in the private and public sphere. NRW.BANK, for instance, relocated up to 75% of its staff into home offices. Thanks to good IT infrastructure, the agency s productivity has not been hurt by this unconventional working environment.
Livent Corp (LTHM) Q4 2020 Earnings Call Transcript fool.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fool.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Charné Hundermark, Southern and East Africa Editor February 10, 2021
The Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) has launched a €200-million green bond (≈$240 million) to finance climate change initiatives throughout the country. Established through a private placement with the French Development Agency, the loan is intended to contribute to South Africa’s climate change mitigation efforts.
The loan is aligned with the country’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement program, intended to boost domestic renewable energy investment and production, and will help fast-track sustainable and climate-friendly projects.
“The bond will be structured in accordance with the Bank’s recently published Green Bond Framework, which reiterates the DBSA’s commitment to playing a role in the just transition to a low-carbon economy,” said the DBSA in a statement. “The framework is aligned with the International Capital Markets Associa
Whitbread issues green bonds totalling £550m
Hospitality giant Whitbread, which owns brands including Premier Inn, has priced two major green bonds at £300m and £250m respectively.
The move comes as the UK Government prepares to price its first sovereign green bond
The period for the first, larger bond runs through to May 2027. The second, smaller bond is due in May 2031.
Funding raised through the bonds will be used to help deliver initiatives and infrastructure that will support Whitbread’s ‘Force For Good’ sustainability strategy. Updated in 2020 to reflect the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the hospitality sector, the strategy includes a climate target to halve Whitbread’s carbon emissions intensity by 2025, against a 2018/19 baseline, and to deliver an 84% reduction by 2050. The firm claims that these moves will align the firm with the UK’s 2050 net-zero target.