Pandemic underlines importance of the S in ESG as compliant companies outperform
For years, assessing environmental risks has been at the forefront of ESG (environmental, social, governance) investing, but there’s been a greater appreciation of the ‘S’ in ESG since the market sell-off in March

Nordea's former head of sustainable loans resurfaces at Handelsbanken
The former head of sustainable loans at Nordea will join Handelsbanken debt capital markets team in May

PRI unveils ESG workstream for CLOs, loans and ABS
Principles for Responsible Investment has established a workstream on environmental social and governance standards in structured products

They said it: "How about a carbon reduction covenant?"
In a social media post, Bfinance’s Trevor Castledine recalls a conversation with a private debt manager who claimed to be powerless when it comes to influencing borrowers over ESG. The lender’s response was: “Er…”

Points up front: Betting on ESG CLOs
Investing ethically is becoming a big part of credit, with CLO managers among the first to adopt environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment guidelines. So it’s no surprise that ESG criteria were high on the list of talking points at the Structured Finance Association’s SFVegas gathering last month.

NNIP launches corporate green bond fund
NNIP Investment Partners has launched a green bond fund focused on corporate borrowers, following dominance by this issuer group in the green bond market last year

Italian pension fund seeks greater exposure to private debt
BNL, the pension fund of the investment manager BNP Paribas Italia, has launched a request for proposals (RFP), looking to commit €20 million to private debt closed-end funds.  

Mercer puts private debt at heart of $2.7 billion fund of fund
Mercer has held a final close at $2.7 billion for a private markets fund that offers investors access to private debt and sustainable products  

LGIM hires ESG head for real assets division
Legal & General Investment Management’s LGIM Real Assets has appointed Sheun Chan as head of environmental, social and corporate governance  

Elfa partners with LMA to develop standardised ESG disclosure topics
The European Leveraged Finance Association, in partnership with the Loan Market Association, has launched an engagement programme to develop a standard set of material ESG disclosure topics on which issuers and borrowers can be expected to report publicly

Managers face ESG disclosure pressure under ‘ambitious and demanding’ EU regulations
New rules finalised by the European Union will shake up the way managers approach environmental, social and governance investing, sources say. The ambitious initiative is relevant for funds which have a specific ESG mandate — but will also be applicable to firms without an express ESG or sustainability focus.

UK charities join forces on hunt for ESG managers
Three UK based charities are joining forces in the hunt for a manager to oversee a £32 million ($41.6 million) portfolio with a strong focus on environment, social and governance (ESG) criteria as well as impact investing  

Private debt tops the private markets agenda for insurers, finds Schroders
Insurers currently allocate the largest proportion of their private assets’ portfolio to private debt, followed by real estate, according to study published by asset manager Schroders  

Devon pension backs Brunel private debt portfolio
Devon pension fund’s committee has approved a £100 million ($131 million) commitment to Brunel private debt portfolio, according to documents seen by Creditflux

Danish pension backs green bonds
Sampension is set to boost its green portfolio, by allocating DKK300 million to German and Irish green bonds

MSCI makes ESG ratings public for over 2,800 companies
MSCI Research has made ESG ratings of over 2,800 companies publicly available, according to an announcement by the firm, hoping to encourage open discussion between investors and companies and drive greater transparency

Italian journalists set for greater exposure to infrastructure debt
The pension fund for Italian journalists has launched a request for proposals in which it seeks exposure to infrastructure debt, along with infrastructure equity

S&P acquires ESG rating business from RobecoSam
S&P Global has acquired an ESG ratings business from RobecoSam, according to an announcement. The acquisition includes that of SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), an evaluation tool.

NIBC prices 'first fully-compliant' ESG CLO
NIBC Bank has priced North Westerly VI in a transaction which the firm describes as “the first CLO fully compliant with ESG best practices”

Investors increasingly see ESG as fiduciary duty, State Street survey reveals
North American investors are most likely to view ESG as a fiduciary duty, while European investors are driven by regulation, performance and reputational risk, according to results from a survey conducted by State Street Global Advisors

Eiffel seeks ESG loans as French lenders adopt LuxFlag label
Private debt managers are applying for the Luxembourg Finance Labelling Agency’s (LuxFlag) approval in ESG-centric strategies.

Managers dispel myth that lenders can’t influence ESG
There’s a growing belief among credit fund managers that they can influence borrowers to take on ESG-friendly practices, contrary to the widely-accepted notion that the business practices of companies are dictated by their private equity owners.

ESG integration is part of fiduciary duty, finds UNPRI
The United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) report ‘Fiduciary Duty in the 21st Century’, published late last month, concludes that ESG is a source of investment value, ending debate that using ESG criteria might violate fiduciary duties.

Newly formed Italian asset manager launches direct lending fund
Equita Capital is seeking a first close of its second private debt fund by February 2020, Creditflux has learnt. The fund is understood to have an ESG focus