Creditflux

US pension seeks private credit consultant and ESG services
New Jersey Division of Investment has launched a request for proposals (RFP) searching for hedge fund and private credit investment consultant services. It has also launched a search for environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings, research and related services  

Lombard Odier expands sustainability team
Lombard Odier has bolstered its sustainability capabilities with the appointments of Christopher Kaminker and Ebba Lepage  

Points up front: Benefits of being unethical
Investing ethically is increasingly becoming part of a credit manager’s mandate, with environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies all the rage.

Borrowers promise to pay penalty if they breach ESG targets
Loan investors are incentivising companies to improve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance by linking the financial terms of a loan to the ability of the borrower to meet predetermined sustainability targets.

A challenging environment

French pension hunts for ESG service providers
Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (FRR) is set to boost its environmental, social and governance plans with a newly launched responsible investment strategy  

Goldman Sachs creates sustainable finance group
Goldman Sachs has launched a sustainable finance group, to deliver sustainable growth solutions to the bank’s clients, according to documents seen by Creditflux.  

M&G launches ESG bond fund
M&G Investments has launched an emerging markets corporate bond fund, with an emphasis on environmental, social and governance characteristics  

Dutch development bank creates ESG and impact standing committee
The Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) has created a standing committee for impact and environmental, social and governance investing

Italian pension fund looks to build its exposure to bonds
Mediafond has launched a request for proposals in which it seeks out a manager to oversee a bond portfolio

Investor requirements rather than performance is driving ESG push: Creditflux survey
Only 14% of respondents to Creditflux's global credit ESG survey said performance was the main reason they were adopting envoronmental, social and governance-themed strategies

ResponsAbility closes impact securitisation at $175 million
ResponsAbility, a Zurich-headquartered impact assessment manager, has closed a $175 million securitisation of loans to microfinance and SME-finance providers in emerging markets

EIB and Amundi form green partnership for high yield, private debt and securitisations
Amundi and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have teamed-up to launch Green Credit Continuum (Greco) programme with the aim of raising €1 billion over the next three years for green credit initiatives

Direct lenders pin hopes on ESG as risk management tool
Strategies geared towards environmental, social and governance (ESG) may have originally been popularised at the behest of pension funds seeking responsible investments, but there are growing hopes that incorporating ESG will help fund managers outperform in a downturn.

UK pension scheme quits tobacco
Nest is set to go tobacco free across all its investments, with the largest UK pension master trust expecting that the process will take up to two years.  

BNP Paribas AM hires Robeco investment specialist for quant strategies
BNP Paribas Asset Management has appointed Grégory Taïeb for the newly-created role of investment specialist within the firm’s multi-asset, quantitative and solutions investment group, which includes investments in credit.  

Debut manager touts non-ethical CLO
“We are looking at this as a sort of Darth Vader of CLOs,” says the firm's portfolio manager

Wells Fargo AM appoints global head of ESG
Wells Fargo Asset Management is looking to enhance its environmental, social and governance (ESG) capabilities and has appointed Hannah Skeates as global head of ESG

US pension seek real estate debt managers
The State Universities Retirement System (SURS) has launched a real assets investment search, seeking private core, private core plus, and private non-core real estate managers, on both debt and equity  

LA pension fund seeks emerging manager for fixed income strategy
The Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (Lacera) has launched a request for proposal in which it seeks out a fixed income emerging manager specialising in liquid strategies, such as core and core plus strategies  

Lazard appoints co-heads of sustainable investment and ESG
Lazard Asset Management has appointed co-heads of sustainable investment and ESG across both sides of the Atlantic 

NN hires head of fixed income and responsible investing
NN Investment Partners (NN IP), a Dutch insurer and investment manager, has appointed a head of fixed income and responsible investing

Sweden eases investment law for pension funds
The Swedish parliament has approved investment guidelines giving the country’s four state pension plans greater freedom to invest in illiquid markets