All articles by Polly Bindman

Polly Bindman is a data journalist and sustainable finance reporter based in London. She has worked for Capital Monitor and the New Statesman.

Polly Bindman

Why climate stress tests are not fit for purpose

Scenarios used by central banks to conduct climate-risk stress tests have been criticised as not fit for purpose because they fail to account for severe economic shocks caused by climate “tipping points”.

Shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic: is ESG a redundant concept?

Institutions across the globe have welcomed the ISSB’s much-anticipated inaugural global sustainability standards. However, some industry experts warn that too much focus on standardising data could distract from the urgent need to decarbonise.

Will antitrust concerns be the death knell for insurers’ net-zero commitments?

Insurers with climate commitments have found themselves at the centre of a heavily politicised debate over whether coordinated climate action contravenes antitrust laws, leading three major insurers to exit the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance this week.

Why ESG funds are full of fossil fuels (but that’s okay) 

Polly Bindman notes that most US ESG funds contain exposure to fossil fuels. However, that might not be such a bad thing.

How climate denial became the anti-ESG movement 

Vanguard’s recent exit from the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative is more evidence that US Republicans’ anti-ESG movement is having a chilling effect on investors. However, just how far the reactionary movement could hinder the energy transition is unclear.

Are we about to see a surge in sovereign sustainability-linked bonds?

2022 was a “proof of concept year” for sovereign sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs), with the first SLBs successfully issued in Chile and Uruguay reports Polly Bindman

Weekly data: The growing mismatch between financial institutions’ net-zero targets and corporate transition plans 

New data revealing that only 0.4% of companies have a credible climate transition plan should concern financial institutions pledging to reach net zero, reports Polly Bindman

Weekly data: Rise in US anti-ESG policies could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars

State anti-ESG laws are fast outpacing those supporting environmental or social measures, potentially costing taxpayers $700m reports Polly Bindman

How green bonds could turbocharge the energy transition in 2023

While green bond issuance is expected to accelerate this year following a 2022 downturn, there is a risk that issuers may forgo quality for quantity, reports Polly Bindman

Why banks aren’t taking responsibility for a huge share of their scope 3 emissions

The failure of most banks to account for their facilitated emissions has been labelled a “potentially huge” policy loophole, reports Polly Bindman