State Bank of India has raised Asia Pacific’s largest ever ESG loan of $1 billion in syndicated social funds for further onlending to smaller institutions to aid social sector funding. SBI has raised this $1 billion fund, including a greenshoe of $500 million, from global banks. The loan is significant for SBI and also the ESG financing market in India, as it is the largest ESG loan by a commerc...

Adani Group-controlled Ambuja Cements and ACC will be dropped from S&P BSE 100 ESG Index from February 22, according to a statement issued by Asia Index on Friday. Ambuja Cements and ACC have been added to the Media and Stakeholder Analysis (MSA) list.Based on the S&P BSE 100 ESG Index methodology, the index committee reviews constituents flagged under the MSA to evaluate their continuity within...

Adam Smith famously said – “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest.” What was left unsaid was that the baker makes money because society at large is willing to pay for bread. In capitalistic economies, while profit maximization is the goal, it is not divorced from the demands of socie...

MUMBAI : The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Monday issued a consultation paper to streamline and standardize the ratings of companies on Environmental Social and Governance metrics.  As per the paper only Sebi accredited entities can provide ESG ratings. These entities can include ratings agencies, Sebi registered research analysts among others. These criteria would be applicab...

Equity investors could pay more attention to the ‘net zero emissions’ theme in 2022, against the backdrop of a worldwide debate on the ill-effects of climate change.“It is estimated that more than $40 trillion—or more than 25%—of all professionally managed assets globally have some level of environmental, social and governance (ESG) theme overlay in the investment process. This number an...