Cocobod plants ESG loans in EM, but not all taste the sweetness

Ghana Cocoa Board has signed its first sustainability-linked loan facility, kick-starting this year’s environmental, social and governance financing in emerging markets. The deal emerges as a trio of global trade bodies have launched a set of standards to codify this fast-growing market segment, which some financiers are still trying to come to terms with. Mariam Meskin and Mike Turner report.