Purdue Pharma bankruptcy highlights value of ESG analysis
Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy this week, and the sector wide concern over the US opioid epidemic, has highlighted the utility of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards in credit analyses

Aviva expands ESG private debt capabilities
Asset manager Aviva Investors has appointed Ed Dixon to serve as head of head of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) within real assets, including private debt.  

Zais revamps credit policy to reflect ESG
Zais Group has become the latest credit manager to implement an environmental, social and governance policy across its business

University foundation searches for 'alternative' asset manager
Vancouver Island University Foundation (VIUF) has launched a request for proposal (RFP), seeking an alternative manager for a CAD3.5 million portfolio  

US credit managers make ESG breakthrough after taking a first step via UNPRI
Incorporating a framework for investing in companies based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors is a challenge that US credit managers are accepting in growing numbers

Australian pension fund hires head of ESG
The Australian Catholic Superannuation & Retirement Fund has appointed Louise Bradshaw to lead the pension fund’s initiatives in regard to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments

THL updates credit investment framework to include ESG
THL Credit Advisors has announced that it has developed an investment framework for assessing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in analysing credit quality and risk factors

Direct lenders seek kindred ESG private equity sponsors
Direct lenders are keen to cultivate relationships with private equity sponsors that have a background investing with an environmental, social and governance (ESG) focus.

Amundi unveils ESG-focused multi-asset fund
The launch of the Amundi Funds Multi-Asset Sustainable Future fund is driven by the increasing importance of ESG investing and conservative portfolios, says the firm

White Oak lands role in California's clean energy financing programme
The California Statewide Communities Development Authority (CSCDA) has named White Oak Global Advisors as the programme administrator for  commercial property-assessed clean energy (Pace) financing

Green bonds and international credit deliver double-digit returns for Swedish pension
Second Swedish National Pension Fund (AP2) reached SEK 367.4 billion in the first half of 2019, with investments in fixed income generating double-digit returns, according to its half year report  

US pension seeks private credit consultant and ESG services
New Jersey Division of Investment has launched a request for proposals (RFP) searching for hedge fund and private credit investment consultant services. It has also launched a search for environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings, research and related services  

Lombard Odier expands sustainability team
Lombard Odier has bolstered its sustainability capabilities with the appointments of Christopher Kaminker and Ebba Lepage  

Borrowers promise to pay penalty if they breach ESG targets
Loan investors are incentivising companies to improve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance by linking the financial terms of a loan to the ability of the borrower to meet predetermined sustainability targets.

French pension hunts for ESG service providers
Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (FRR) is set to boost its environmental, social and governance plans with a newly launched responsible investment strategy  

Goldman Sachs creates sustainable finance group
Goldman Sachs has launched a sustainable finance group, to deliver sustainable growth solutions to the bank’s clients, according to documents seen by Creditflux.  

M&G launches ESG bond fund
M&G Investments has launched an emerging markets corporate bond fund, with an emphasis on environmental, social and governance characteristics  

Dutch development bank creates ESG and impact standing committee
The Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) has created a standing committee for impact and environmental, social and governance investing

Italian pension fund looks to build its exposure to bonds
Mediafond has launched a request for proposals in which it seeks out a manager to oversee a bond portfolio

Investor requirements rather than performance is driving ESG push: Creditflux survey
Only 14% of respondents to Creditflux's global credit ESG survey said performance was the main reason they were adopting envoronmental, social and governance-themed strategies

ResponsAbility closes impact securitisation at $175 million
ResponsAbility, a Zurich-headquartered impact assessment manager, has closed a $175 million securitisation of loans to microfinance and SME-finance providers in emerging markets

EIB and Amundi form green partnership for high yield, private debt and securitisations
Amundi and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have teamed-up to launch Green Credit Continuum (Greco) programme with the aim of raising €1 billion over the next three years for green credit initiatives

Direct lenders pin hopes on ESG as risk management tool
Strategies geared towards environmental, social and governance (ESG) may have originally been popularised at the behest of pension funds seeking responsible investments, but there are growing hopes that incorporating ESG will help fund managers outperform in a downturn.

UK pension scheme quits tobacco
Nest is set to go tobacco free across all its investments, with the largest UK pension master trust expecting that the process will take up to two years.