The inaugural social bond by RBS will, it is hoped, support the bank’s commitment to SME lending in areas of high deprivation within the UK.

The transition from 'traditional' to ESG-embracing is a tough one for banks. Silvia Pavoni describes how the solution to this issue may lie within for many lenders.

The proliferation of US sanctions is not helping build resilience, while climate change risk is being ignored by policy-makers, former deputy Treasury secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin tells The Banker. 

Impact investing is still developing but the UK's newly launched Impact Investing Institute is working to accelerate this, as its CEO Sarah Gordon tells The Banker.

As UN secretary general special advocate for inclusive finance for development, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands speaks to The Banker about getting technology right for financial inclusion and gender disparity among the underbanked.

With demand for climate-friendly finance growing exponentially, Marfrig has entered the fray with a bond to support sustainable beef production. 

Comparing different companies’ ESG credentials is akin to comparing apples and pears. But efforts are being made to find the right tools to collect sufficient data and achieve a standard methodology. 

Banks may have signed up to ESG commitments but are they acting? Increasing financing of fossil fuels suggests otherwise. 

The next step for companies committed to ESG is to introduce impact-weighted accounting, whereby an organisation’s balance sheet details its wider social effects, as well as its financial health. Silvia Pavoni explains.

CaixaBank's charitable roots explain its success in launching the first Spanish bond linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.