How will ESG considerations shape the next wave of construction & infrastructure disputes?

In this podcast, Maria Mitaeva and Bart Fleuren discuss how they expect developments in the field of ESG to impact the next wave of construction & infrastructure sector disputes.

What companies need to know about the final TNFD Recommendations

The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) published the final version of its recommendations on a framework to identify, assess, manage, and disclose nature-related issues. In this podcast, Kim Rybarczyk and Jon Wen Tsung Tan discuss the final recommendations, including what the framework means for businesses and how it fits in with existing climate reporting frameworks. 

Overview of NGO-led climate litigation

Rebecca Burton speaks to Charlotte Moore and Catalina Becerra at SIGWATCH, a global activism consultancy and data provider. They speak about recent trends in NGO-led climate litigation, why it is being used by NGOs as a tactic to address climate change and how companies should look to engage with the heightened risk of NGO-led litigation.

Biodiversity and COP15: the Big Picture

COP15 - the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity - takes place from 7 – 19 December 2022 in Montreal. Its primary aim is to agree a post-2020 global biodiversity framework (“GBF”). It is hoped the GBF will set the framework required for national and local action as well as the mobilisation of capital towards global biodiversity goals.

In this podcast, Kim Rybarczyk and Claudia Harper discuss COP15 and the GBF and what it means for businesses.

The EU Green Bond Standard: the role of KPIs and Sustainability-Linked Bonds

In our second podcast, David Ballegeer and Linda Taylor, together with Els Janssens, explore how the proposed EU Green Bond Standard fits into the broader EU sustainability plan, in particular the taxonomy and its new reporting requirements and key performance indicators (KPIs). They also discuss how it interacts with Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLBs), where KPIs also play a key role.

The EU Green Bond Standard: what is it?

The European Commission published the draft EU Green Bond Standard in 2021 and in our first podcast on this topic, David Ballegeer, Amrita Ahluwalia, together with Els Janssens, discuss what the EU Green Bond Standard is, how it relates to current market practice and what we can expect.

Gender and women‘s quotas in the private sector: What changes with the FüPoG II?

Minimum participation, gender quota and target figures - the German Second Act on Equal Participation of Women in Management Positions (FüPoG II) aims to strengthen the participation of women, especially in leadership positions in the private sector.

In this podcast, Kristina Klaaßen-Kaiser and Timon Grau, together with Cornelius Wilk, take a look at the most important consequences for companies and the differences compared to the previous legal situation.

The New German Supply Chain Due Diligence Law – what companies need to know

For years, business and human rights in supply chains have been a top priority for many companies across various industries. For a long time, the focus was on voluntary compliance, but this is currently changing in many jurisdictions and on EU level. With the recently enacted German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act passed, the German legislator has set binding requirements that in-scope companies will have to fulfil as of January 2023. In this podcast we give you an overview of the new obligations and discuss the consequences and practical challenges for businesses.

Recapping greenhouse gas reporting in the UK

A key part in developing and implementing any climate transition plan is data and reporting. In this short podcast Iyesogie Igiehon and Claire Rogers give a quick overview of the current greenhouse gas reporting landscape in the UK, looking at the main regimes, challenges and the direction of travel, including the SECR and TCFD regimes and reporting on Scope 3 emissions.

An overview of green and sustainability linked loan products

Green and sustainability linked loans have become established loan market products, but they are still evolving as industry sectors seek to address wide-ranging ESG pressures. At the same time, regulators recognise that the financial sector is a key part of the transition to a more sustainable economy. Our Banking team have produced three podcasts which focus on ESG in the loan markets. 

In this podcast Christopher Williams explores the features of green and sustainability linked loans. 

What does ESG mean for the maritime sector?

Further focusing on ESG in the loan markets, Olga Petrovic and Caroline Courtney explore ESG as it impacts the maritime sector.

ESG and access to finance

The third podcast as part of the Banking team’s focus on ESG in the loan markets sees Edward Chan and Bobby Butcher discuss ESG regulation and the potential impact on access to finance.

E&S remedy in project financings

In this podcast Rachel Barrett and Aileen Buchanan discuss the importance of remedy in a project financing context. Drawing upon what they have seen in practice they explore:

• options for remedy when issues arise;
• how remedy is dealt with in transaction documents; and
• how a proactive approach to remedy can help avoid defaults.

Transparency and reporting in project financings

In our next podcast focusing on ESG in a project financing context, Rachel Barrett and Iyesogie Igiehon discuss:

• why transparency matters when it comes to environmental and social issues;
• what is usually disclosed and when; 
• ongoing project reporting; and
• the shift towards greater public disclosure.

Digging deeper into E&S due diligence

In our next podcast focusing on ESG in a project financing context, Iyesogie Igiehon and Aileen Buchanan discuss:

• the role of E&S due diligence in project financings;
• E&S standards requirements;
• the role of E&S consultants; and
• areas/issues that require extra focus such as biodiversity, GHG emissions and indigenous peoples.

Managing E&S risks in project financings

The next focus of our ESG Soundbite Series will be on the importance of ESG in a project financing context.
In this first session Aileen Buchanan, Rachel Barrett and Iyesogie Igiehon talk about E&S risk management in complex project financings.  

They share some quick insights on:

• how soft law standards have driven change in the market;
• the increase in NGO and public scrutiny; and
• what parties can do to efficiently manage E&S risks including practical tips.

ESG reporting for corporates – A brief summary

In this videocast we provide a brief summary of a recent webinar which looked at the reporting requirements impacting corporates under various disclosure developments in the UK and EU. 

For a more in-depth discussion on these developments, who is affected and how changes in what needs to be disclosed fit in with the new disclosure regime under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulations and Taxonomy Regulation, watch our webinar - ESG reporting for corporates.

ESG disclosure requirements in Japan

ESG is high up on executive’s agenda in Japan. On the “E” side, in particular, on Climate Change, Japanese Prime Minister Suga announced in October the country’s pledge to achieve carbon neutral by 2050. This is a huge commitment. Hydrogen, battery storage, carbon recycling and offshore wind are named as the primary areas of development and investment. The videocast talks about ESG disclosure requirements in Japan, focuses on the impact EU regulations may have on Japanese asset managers.

Resilience in supply chains – key ESG takeaways

The rise of ESG has placed an increased focus on organisations and their supply chains. In this videocast we briefly discuss the key takeaways for organisations when looking at supply chains in the context of ESG.

The ESG megatrend: what and why now?

Environment, social and governance (“ESG”) is going mainstream and the ESG megatrend presents both risks and opportunities for corporates. Here are some of the key takeaways from our webinar on the ESG megatrend.

Human rights due diligence: why it matters and how to get started

Human rights due diligence is set to climb higher up the board room agenda as the European Commission prepares to launch a consultation. In this podcast, Rachel Barrett and James Marlow discuss why human rights due diligence is becoming increasingly important for corporates and how to start the process.

New version of Equator Principles

In this podcast, Rachel Barrett, Aileen Buchanan and Iyesogie Igiehon discuss three key changes to the new version of the Equator Principles (EP4), which came into effect on 1 October 2020: (1) climate change risks assessments; (2) human rights due diligence; and (3) how the EP standards apply in designated countries.

Modern slavery: next steps following UK government consultation on modern slavery statements

In this podcast, Rachel Barrett and James Marlow discuss the key changes that will be made to modern slavery statements in the UK, following the government’s response to the consultation it carried out in 2019.

The road to net zero

In this videocast Vanessa Havard-Williams and Ruth Knox discuss how to get to net zero by 2050 and what that means in practice. This will require significant changes in a wide range of sectors including real estate, infrastructure, transport, food and farming. There will be big opportunities for those who can adapt quickly to the transition to a net zero economy and big challenges for those in carbon-intensive sectors.

Snapshot of divergent UK/US approaches to ESG

In this videocast Vanessa Havard-Williams and Doug Davison discuss the differences between the European and the United States starting points on ESG disclosures. Presently, there are quite contrasting approaches to disclosures and we explore the reasons behind this and recent developments.

A discussion on the EU Sustainable Finance Package

In this videocast we discuss the EU Sustainable Finance Package which has large parts coming into force within the next year. The requirements of the Sustainable Finance Package are important for regulated firms as it applies to them directly but it will also have a significant indirect impact on corporates.

Private Covid-19 testing

In this podcast we talk briefly about the key points for companies to consider on implementing Covid-19 testing and/or temperature screening as part of their proposals for returning to work and beyond. This has been a key area of interest for many companies that we have spoken to recently and it is clear that interest in employee testing and screening will continue to grow as lockdown measures are lifted. Given the evolving Covid-19 landscape, companies should take the time to think about the legal and practical implications of Covid-19 testing in the context of their particular business. 

Remote environmental due diligence and site visits

In this podcast we talk briefly about the move we are seeing towards conducting environmental due diligence and site visits remotely. This is something various consultants, companies and lenders have been considering for some time with some already carrying out virtual site visits. The travel restrictions imposed as a result of Covid-19 have accelerated the necessity of being able to conduct due diligence and site visits remotely.