Climate Change

Currently responsible for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, maritime transport must decarbonise whilst facing extensive costs and adverse economic operating environments, as well as increasing geopolitical risks.

The increasing frequency, intensity, and unpredictability of climate crises have significant implications for the sustainability of sovereign debt due to the impacts on debtors’ repayment abilities.

Although there is widespread support for ESG initiatives and a large proportion willing to prioritise positive environmental and social impacts over financial returns, Standard Chartered’s research reveals that many companies still haven’t made concrete sustainability commitments or set targets. 

While a growing portion of the industry starts to seize the opportunities of measuring and managing emissions, many commodity traders still hesitate. Why undertake the complex process of carbon accounting, if it’s hard, if it’s not a legal requirement, and if it only draws attention to their high-carbon products rather than their competitors? 

At the World Export Development Forum (WEDF), hosted in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, TFG’s Deepesh Patel spoke with Davaadalai Batsuuri, Economic Policy Advisor to the President of Mongolia, to learn more about Mongolia’s commitment to green trade and the country’s environmentally conscious strategies.

In this episode of Trade Finance Talks, TFG’s Deepesh Patel was joined by Francesca Beomonte, Head of Structured Trade & Export Finance at UniCredit, to learn more about the role of ECAs in international trade.

News on the invasion of Ukraine, inflation and recession have swept into all offices, living rooms and public spaces in the past year. In other words: Macroeconomic considerations have prevailed, and we have all had to adapt to a new reality – not least in my work with sustainable finance.

In an exclusive interview with Odbayar Erdenetsogt, the foreign policy advisor for the President of Mongolia, Trade Finance Global (TFG) delves into the reasons behind Mongolia’s growing significance in the global trade landscape and the challenges and opportunities it faces.

Trade finance plays a vital role in global economic activities, facilitating the movement of goods and services across borders. 

Following the EBRD 2023 Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, TFG’s Brian Canup (BC) spoke with Nino Masurashvili (NM), Deputy CEO, Chief Risk Officer, TBC Bank Georgia, who was recognised with the EBRD Sustainability Silver Award. Read this two-part interview to learn more about TBC Bank Georgia, why they were awarded the EBRD Sustainability Silver Award, and their plan for continuing to support Georgian sustainability.

Following the EBRD 2023 Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, TFG’s Brian Canup (BC) spoke with Nino Masurashvili (NM), Deputy CEO, Chief Risk Officer, TBC Bank Georgia, who was recognised with the EBRD Sustainability Silver Award. Read this two-part interview to learn more about TBC Bank Georgia, why they were awarded the EBRD Sustainability Silver Award, and their plan for continuing to support Georgian sustainability.

Just over two weeks ago, Commodity Trading Week gathered over 300 experts from across the world, tackling some of the most pertinent questions and challenges in the industry. TFG summarises the key findings.

In 2023, environmental and climate issues will again be at the top of the policy agenda in the Middle East and North Africa. The upcoming COP28 climate conference in Dubai and the rapid growth in the renewables sector in Egypt and North Africa both point to the growing power of MENA states within global climate politics.

While consensus and recognised standards exist for carbon footprint measurement and reporting, carbon offsetting and the quality of underlying projects are still subject to debate.

‘Permacrisis’ was crowned word of the year by the editors of the Collins English Dictionary at the end of 2022, defined as “an extended period of instability and insecurity”. It seems an appropriate term to describe the state of global trade, finance, and supply chains as we enter 2023.