🧭 Explore the latest in ESG & fintech innovation

Hi there! 👋 

Last week, we delved into how 60% of global investors are seeing higher yields through ESG investing and explored Australia’s landmark bill on climate risk disclosures. Your engagement with these insights continues to drive the conversation on sustainable finance and ESG.

As a reminder, the Wallet Max Emerald Summit is still open for registration, and we’re just days away!

 If you haven’t yet, make sure to reserve your spot for this can’t-miss event, where the brightest minds in ESG and climate fintefh will gather.

Register here: https://lu.ma/6sq3r6en 

Now, let's dive into this week's updates shaping the world of sustainable finance.

• 73% of private equity managers now boast robust ESG processes, LGT Capital Partners’ ESG Report: LGT Capital Partners’ 2024 ESG Report highlights the growing dedication among alternative investment managers to ESG standards.

• China’s National Development Bank issues $1.7 Billion in green bonds to fund key sustainability projects: China's NDB issued 12B yuan ($1.7B) in green bonds at a 1.63% rate, boosting sustainable finance and attracting global investors.

• IBM and Ecosystm launch ‘Sustainability Technology Guide for Executives’ to drive tech-enabled sustainability in Asia Pacific: IBM and Ecosystm, released a new whitepaper aimed at empowering business leaders in the Asia Pacfic regions.

• AIGCC urges Korea to expand ISSB disclosures beyond climate: Korea has been advised to extend the scope of its disclosures under the ISSB standards beyond just climate-related information.

• MIT’s new tool set to cut pavement emissions by 65% by 2050: MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub presents a streamlined pavement LCA framework to enable a large set of stakeholders to conduct environmental analysis of pavements.

🎯 73% of private equity managers now boast robust ESG processes, LGT Capital Partners’ ESG Report

✅ Key Insights

• 73% of private equity managers now have robust ESG processes, up from 27% a decade ago.

• Europe leads in ESG excellence with 51% of managers rated “excellent,” while Asia and the US show slower progress.

• DEI awareness surges with 74% of private equity managers implementing formal DEI policies in 2024, up from 60% in 2022.

LGT Capital Partners’ 2024 ESG Report highlights the growing dedication among alternative investment managers to ESG standards. Over the past decade, the percentage of private equity managers with robust ESG processes has jumped from 27% to 73%, signaling a significant shift towards sustainability.

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🎯 China’s National Development Bank issues $1.7 Billion in green bonds to fund key sustainability projects

✅ Key Insights

• China’s National Development Bank (NDB) issued $1.7 billion in green bonds to fund key sustainability projects.

• The issuance saw strong demand with a 3.08 subscription multiple, highlighting investor confidence.

• Projects funded by these bonds are set to cut carbon emissions by 697,200 tonnes annually.

China’s National Development Bank (NDB) has taken another significant step in supporting sustainable finance by issuing 12 billion yuan (approximately $1.7 billion) in green financial bonds. These three-year bonds, offered at a 1.63% issuance rate, have attracted a broad spectrum of investors, both domestic and international.

Read more.

🎯 IBM and Ecosystm launch ‘Sustainability Technology Guide for Executives’ to drive tech-enabled sustainability in Asia Pacific

✅ Key Insights

• Only 21% of Asia Pacific companies have a strategic sustainability approach. Data integration remains the biggest challenge.

• Technology modernization is vital. Asia Pacific firms are prioritizing tech upgrades to advance sustainability goals.

• Leadership involvement is key. A comprehensive approach with executives across all departments is essential for sustainability success.

IBM’s “Sustainability Technology Guide for Executives” offers a comprehensive roadmap for Asia Pacific businesses to harness technology for sustainability. Despite the growing importance of sustainable practices, only 21% of organizations in the region have a strategic approach, according to a new whitepaper from IBM and Ecosystm.

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🎯 AIGCC urges Korea to expand ISSB disclosures beyond climate

✅ Key Insights

• AIGCC has expressed concerns over the provisional measures proposed by the Korea Sustainability Standards Board (KSSB).

• Mandatory reporting of Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions have to commence no later than 2026.

• KSSB’s consultation process is ongoing and is set to conclude on 31 August.

Korea has been advised to extend the scope of its disclosures under the ISSB standards beyond just climate-related information. This recommendation was part of a recent consultation response from the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC). The group argued that Korea’s current approach, which could allow companies to opt out of industry-specific ISSB disclosures, might hinder the comparability of sustainability reports on an international and regional scale.

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🎯 MIT’s new tool set to cut pavement emissions by 65% by 2050

✅ Key Insights

• MIT’s new framework reduces data collection by up to 85% without compromising decision-making reliability.

• The tool could enable a 65% reduction in pavement sector emissions by 2050 through smarter materials and maintenance practices.

• MIT aims to democratize pavement life-cycle assessment, empowering stakeholders with an easy-to-use tool for environmentally responsible decisions.

MIT researchers at the Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) have introduced a groundbreaking tool that addresses the environmental challenges posed by the U.S. road infrastructure. This new framework simplifies the life-cycle assessment (LCA) of pavements, making it accessible to a broad range of stakeholders while significantly reducing the data collection burden.

Read more.

Divestment: chicken or egg?

Aaron Boockvar-Klein, now an analyst for the cleantech company Voltu, shares his experience of the student meeting held in April 2022 at his university. Here are his thoughts about why divestment receives more attention than other actions.

✅ Highlights 

• Divestment is not a singular goal

• Divestment may hinder the progress of all carbon neutrality actions

• Advocate for divestment in a balanced approach

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 Using quantum computing to design better bridges

✅ Highlights 

• Quantum computing for the built environment and construction sectors

• Quantum computing and bridge deck loading

• What was done?

• What was learnt?

Dedicated to sustainable development, Arup is a collective of designers, consultants and experts working globally in the built environment. Founded to be humane and excellent, Arup collaborates with its clients and partners using imagination, technology, and rigour to shape a better world. Arup has studied the potential applications of quantum computing in the built environment and found several areas in which it could be transformative such as optimisation of transport, logistics, energy and, in the longer-term, materials and decarbonisation challenges.

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