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.

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.

Interest in green financing is picking up in Asia. Even so, there is plenty of work to be done if the region is to fulfil its ambitions in the sector. 

Definitions around what makes a product truly ‘green’ are still vague, so the European Commission technical expert group on sustainable finance has taken on the task of compiling a green taxonomy, writes Silvia Pavoni.

Climate risks are real and mounting, and it is crucial for the financial community to act together in backing a more sustainable, circular economy, says Emma Navarro of the European Investment Bank. 

Why are capital markets in developing countries so far behind those of their more developed neighbours? The Banker spoke to experts at an International Finance Corporation conference to discuss strategies for getting things moving. Edited by Silvia Pavoni.