A $2.4tn investor coalition led by ShareAction secures landmark climate commitments from HSBC.

The SEC's new Climate and ESG Enforcement Task Force (announced 04 March 2021) will proactively identify ESG-related misconduct. However initial efforts will focus only on identification of climate-related disclosure breaches under existing rules.

Santander will align its power generation portfolio with the Paris Agreement by 2030 and will cease providing financial services to clients with more than 10% of revenues dependent on thermal coal. Longer term, it aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The SEC is under pressure to repeal or amend guidelines which allow companies to exclude shareholder resolutions from ballots via the no-action process. According to Ceres and the Shareholder Rights Group, this has been used to suppress shareholder proposals on climate risk

EY's latest article (22 Feb 2021) recommends 3 core actions for banks, insurers & asset managers to develop an effective sustainable finance strategy.

S&P has warned (26 Jan 2021) it is considering downgrading the credit ratings of several major oil & gas companies to reflect increasing climate transition pressure, competition from renewables, poor return on capital, and concerns over future profitability.

EY's article (27 Jan 2021) outlines 6 actions for firms seeking to address the financial risks associated with climate transition. Among other items, they highlight the dangers of mis-selling / green-washing at both entity and product level.

A continuous stream of news highlights tragedies such as coral bleaching or forest fires in the Amazon. But for many, the tangible impacts of biodiversity loss may have only been felt recently with Covid-19

Candriam's latest report links sovereign management of natural capital with socio-economic impacts. Accordingly "the emphasis of sovereign analysis must shift from economic development to sustainable development"

The UN Climate Envoy is pressured over a plan which could lead to billions of new carbon credits being sold around the world would contribute to climate change and could turn into a system for greenwashing.