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The UK government’s drive for a ‘hard Brexit’ lays bare the diminished status and authority of the financial services industry. Scandal after scandal, combined with the appalling cynicism of Britain's new prime minister, have brought us here.

Britain has made striking free trade deals one of its signature policies following the Brexit vote. Emerging markets will no doubt be keen to sign up but the reality is that such deals will take years to sign off

There was enough bad news across markets last week to make even the most optimistic participants feel apocalyptic and the sense of foreboding deepened further when the Ranger travelled to Paris.

Renewable energy is at the very top of Premier Modi’s agenda. Finding the finance to match his ambition will be tough though

The birds do it, the bees do it… Not everyone is doing ESG yet — but the way things are going, they soon will be. Investors argue it’s not taking the moral high ground, just good financial sense. And regulators are starting to agree. Climate change is going to do things to portfolios, and you had better be on the lookout. Jon Hay reports.

Supranational and agency issuers were the early adopters of the SRI bond format, creating a market and developing standards for others to follow. While other sectors are enjoying the fruits of those labours, the SSA pioneers are still focused on bringing further innovations — from the development of social bonds to higher reporting standards, to the introduction of the last ‘S’ in the acronym: sovereign issuers. GlobalCapital brought together many of those market leaders, together with bank experts and SRI investors, to discuss the latest innovations and the growth of the market.

With political and regulatory efforts putting sustainable and responsible investing in the spotlight, investors are racing to develop SRI strategies. The market is only just keeping up with the growth in demand, market players tell David Bell.

At around $700bn, the climate-aligned bond universe is less than 1% of the entire bond market. A goal of growing that to even 10% is a lofty one, but entirely necessary if the world wants to meet its climate goals, writes Graham Bippart.

The green bond market began with deals from only the world’s top credits. But now, companies and financial institutions are a growing part of the sustainable bond world. Their commitment to the sector will be crucial in helping it reach full capacity — a necessity if the monumental task of financing the world’s transition to sustainability is to be achieved before it’s too late. But the market is still in its nascent stages, and there is much work to do before even senior unsecured green bonds are standardised, giving both issuers and investors the confidence in the asset class needed to scale it up effectively. GlobalCapital sat down with 13 market professionals on the sidelines of the Euromoney/GlobalCapital Sustainable & Responsible Capital Markets Forum in Amsterdam in September to talk about the big issues in the market.

The social bond market, although still young, has benefited from increased global investor demand for SRI assets and already boasts notable success stories. If market participants follow the lessons of green bonds, a promising future lies ahead. Ross Lancaster reports.

The green bond market is only as good as the methods it can use to prove its virtue and it has to tread a fine line between credibility and expansion — upholding tough environmental standards without putting off too many new issuers. Owen Sanderson reports.

The green bond market has not developed into a source of cheap funds for borrowers, but benefits beyond pricing are there for issuers committed to having a positive environmental impact, writes Lewis McLellan.