Category

ESG

Capital MarketsESG
July 15, 2021

Taking Smaller ESG Steps, Bypassing the Green Bond Road (for Now)

Options in the ESG financing field range from CP to credit facilities, money-market funds and time deposits. Not quite ready to issue ESG bonds? Nearly half the assistant treasurers (ATs) in the projects and priorities session of a recent meeting of NeuGroup for Large-Cap Assistant Treasurers cited ESG as a top priority. However, most said their companies were not quite ready to issue an ESG-based bond and expressed interest in various ESG alternatives. Issuing an ESG bond requires significant legwork and…
Justin Jones
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ESGRisk Management
June 10, 2021

Want to Add Value? Get Creative

An internal auditor explains how he’s been able to not only provide assurance but also add value in other ways.Even before the onset of the pandemic, the scope of just about all corporate functions was widening. New regulations, new technology and new cultural trends (read: reputational potholes) all tended to have people doing more with less. That’s why creatively sharing the load can work best and where one function, internal audit, has found it can add extra value. This was…
Justin Jones
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Capital AllocationESG
June 10, 2021

Balancing Act for Energy Firms: ESG vs. Capital Returns, Discipline

More takeaways from a NeuGroup pilot meeting of oil and gas treasurers weighing the role of finance in energy transition strategies, conducted in partnership with Societe Generale.By Joseph NeuOur discussion with oil and gas treasurers validated that there is a strong belief that investors (and especially on the bond side) want capital discipline and not just a commitment to ESG initiatives. ESG mandates are sold as an indicator of strong returns, especially in the long run; so if companies underperform…
Justin Jones
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ESGRegional
June 3, 2021

Oil and Gas Treasurers Weigh Finance Roles in Transition Strategies

How much time do companies have? Takeaways from the first meeting of a NeuGroup focused on oil and gas treasury support of energy transition conducted in partnership with Societe Generale.By Joseph NeuLast week shook the oil and gas sector. Exxon Mobil saw two board seats go to directors backed by the energy transition activist hedge fund Engine No. 1 (yesterday, the company said a third seat will likely go to the fund), which convinced big asset managers to back its…
Justin Jones
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D&IESG
May 20, 2021

On the Horizon: ‘Much Better Data and Analytics To Do ESG Scoring’

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink shared insights on ESG, D&I and American capitalism with NeuGroup members and guests. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink recently addressed treasurers attending a special session moderated by NeuGroup CEO Joseph Neu that touched on topics including ESG, diversity and inclusion, corporate purpose and American-style capitalism. Among many highlights, Mr. Fink said he is actively urging world leaders to agree on a common set of metrics to judge progress on climate change. “We need every country to come…
Justin Jones
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ESGRisk Management
April 29, 2021

Shifting Winds of ESG Policies and Regs Have Risk Managers on Alert

The prospect of increased regulation and disclosure around corporate sustainability has risk managers preparing.The likelihood of increased regulation and mandatory disclosure of ESG-related activities and risks under the Biden administration and across the globe has enterprise risk managers trying to get their ESG ducks in a row. “From a risk management perspective, we audit all facts and figures in ESG reports we’re using internally,” said one member at a recent meeting of NeuGroup for Enterprise Risk Management. “The expectation is…
Justin Jones
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Capital MarketsESG
April 22, 2021

A Virtuous Cycle Including Treasury Bolsters Sustainability Efforts

Building a framework sets the stage for green bonds—an umbrella to systematize initiatives. Increased scrutiny of corporate sustainability efforts by investors and other stakeholders has made it essential for companies to place ESG initiatives into a clear framework.   Building the framework to coordinate decisions and address investor inquiries more effectively requires communication among key parts of the company, with treasury playing a critical role.These were among the takeaways from a recent meeting of NeuGroup for Capital Markets sponsored by Wells Fargo…
Justin Jones
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BankingESG
March 9, 2021

Green Discount: Treasury Wins With a Sustainability-Linked Revolver

After a corporate successfully launched a sustainability-linked revolver, the treasurer’s phone started ringing.When it came time for one NeuGroup member to renew an existing five-year revolver, he saw an opportunity to improve pricing and generate positive PR by leveraging the ESG goals that the company had recently put in place. The member’s company worked with BNP Paribas and Unicredit to structure a multibillion-dollar sustainability-linked revolver, the first one in its industry sector.“I’ve received a lot of calls from other treasurers…
Justin Jones
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Capital AllocationCapital MarketsESG
March 2, 2021

Getting Granular on Green Bond Proceeds: Capex? Opex? Both?

Some investors prefer that green bonds finance capex projects, but corporates use proceeds for opex, too—with caveats.How a corporate intends to spend the proceeds from a green bond is integral to deciding whether to issue the bond in the first place. You need to have sufficient uses to create a deal that is large enough to make the costs worthwhile and ensure that investors will participate. NeuGroup members at a recent ESG working group meeting addressed a related, more granular…
Justin Jones
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BankingESGTalking Shop
February 18, 2021

Talking Shop: Handling Grant and Expense Payments for a Foundation

Member question: “How is your company handling grant and expense payments for its foundation? Is this handled leveraging existing company processes, tools and teams or outsourced to service providers, such as Foundation Source, etc.? “We’ve outgrown the manual check process and need to scale up here and are curious to learn how you manage this.” Peer answer 1: “Our foundation accounts are with our concentration bank and managed by specific individuals in our corporate team. “We have raised the question…
Justin Jones
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