Read time: 3 minutes 30 seconds The appetite for ethical finance shows no sign of slowing. But as the interest in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) finances rises, so too do concerns about impact- and green-washing: the practice of making false or misleading claims about apparent ethical credentials. Naturally, as an embryonic sector, many complex … Continue Reading
Read time: 3 minutes Innovation and creating purposeful change for communities is at the very heart of what social impact finance is all about. Such impact investments have never shied away from embracing that latest technological innovation or challenging the status quo. In this vein, FinTech initiatives such as blockchain have the potential to prove … Continue Reading
The green bond market is currently one of the fastest-growing fixed-income segments, with issuances tripling between 2013 and 2014. There is a sense of excitement and optimism surrounding the market – initially led and developed by the multilateral development banks (MDBs) and international financial institutions (IFIs), but now actively promoted, sponsored and supported by the … Continue Reading
The Investment Plan, developed by the European Commission, has the potential to be one of the most important and radical changes to how the European Union operates in the last 25 years. Not only will it seek to harmonise the financial and regulatory barriers to investment, but it will look to harness the collective power of … Continue Reading
With yet another foreign convertible bond default hitting our desk, we cannot help but wonder what the future has in store for Asian convertible bonds and debt capital markets restructurings. This is particularly relevant when you consider that Indian companies and banks issued foreign currency bonds aggregating up to approximately $6.3 billion in the first quarter … Continue Reading
So called ‘sunshine backed bonds’ are one of the newest and most exciting asset classes to enter the asset-backed securities market since the financial crisis. The resurgence of the market has led to a number of esoteric ABS issuances in recent months but it was solar energy that seemed most ripe for applying securitisation techniques … Continue Reading
Further to proposals by the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”), the Prospectus Directive regime in Europe, particularly the requirements in relation to the form of prospectuses, transaction summaries, final terms and supplements have undergone some major changes. These changes have been brought about by amending the Prospectus Directive and the Commission Regulation (EC) No … Continue Reading