
IFRS series on sustainability-linked financing
IFRS series on sustainability-linked financing
Fri 18 Nov 2022
As environmental, social and governance concerns are becoming more and more prevalent, sustainable finance is now under the spotlight. The financial sector has a key role to play in achieving the ESG transition. One of the levies developed by the financial industry is to propose new kinds of financing that promote ESG practices and projects amongst corporate businesses. This ‘green”, “social” or “sustainability-linked” financing is growing fast and is raising accounting issues under IFRS that are not fully addressed at the moment.
This series of articles aims to cover the various accounting issues raised by those new financing features from the perspective of both the fund providers and the fundraisers and to follow the latest developments of the IASB on these issues:
- Article 1 – IFRS series on sustainability-linked financing
- Article 2 – Why ESG-linked features impact financial assets classification under IFRS?
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How financial institutions can move sustainability reporting to real-world application
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EUROFI financial forum: strengthening economic union and European competitiveness
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European green taxonomy eligibility ratios in the banking sector
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Why ESG-linked features impact financial assets classification under IFRS?
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Integrated Reporting: Towards a Global Adoption?
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Cryptoassets: Accounting for an emerging asset class
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Climate change: a threat to the stability of the financial services
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IFRS 16: Potential Changes in Real Estate Strategies
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Building a more inclusive tax model
Michael Lennard, Chief of International Tax Cooperation and Trade in the Financing for Sustainable Development Office (FSDO) of the United Nations, discusses, from a personal perspective, a range of key issues on the UN’s approach to transfer pricing. In 2019 the United Nations Tax Committee issued draft guidance on financial transactions. It was finalized in […]

Injecting noise into the discussion
Michael Lennard, Chief of International Tax Cooperation and Trade in the Financing for Sustainable Development Office (FfDO) of the United Nations, examines the role of tax toolkits for developing countries from a personal perspective. The Platform for Collaboration on Tax (PCT) involving the UN, OECD, IMF and the World Bank, is certainly a good example […]

Assessing the impact of sustainable finance on insurance entities
This article is part of the series covering the impact of sustainable finance on the insurance sector. Read further:Part 2: How the insurance sector is meeting ESG challengesPart 3: Developing a toolkit for responsible investment decisions Amid a global pandemic and a rising threat of climate change, today’s society expects financial organisations to uphold strong […]

How the insurance sector is meeting ESG challenges
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Developing a toolkit for responsible investment decisions
This article is part of the series covering the impact of sustainable finance on the insurance sector. Read further:Part 1: Assessing the impact of sustainable finance on insurance entitiesPart 2: How the insurance sector is meeting ESG challenges Clarity of information provided to various stakeholders is a growing issue for financial organisations. Despite the efforts […]

European Insurers’ IFRS 9 Benchmark Study
The new standard IFRS 9 on financial instruments has been effective starting 1st January 2018 for most entities but insurance groups have the possibility to defer its application to 2021, the year when the new standard IFRS 17 on insurance contracts will enter into force. IFRS 9 introduces numerous changes (Phase 1/ classification, Phase 2/ […]

IFRS 17 poses new challenges for the reinsurance industry
After many years of development, in May 2017, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) published a new standard for insurance contracts. Coming into effect on January 1st 2021, the IFRS 17 standard introduces a new model for accounting and measuring insurance liabilities with a framework which is substantially different from current accounting practices. While the […]

Creating a More Homogenous Financial Reporting Platform: An Interview with Javier de Frutos, Chairman of EFFAS
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The Reduction of Regulatory Compliance Examinations for Financial Institutions
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The use of Big Data tools to improve the effectiveness for AML/CFT and KYC policy
A series of initiatives designed to help combat terrorism financing have put electronic payment cards in the spotlight due to the fact they guarantee anonymity in the use of small sums. Announced on 23 November 2015, these initiatives supplement the action plan for combatting the financing of the terrorism presented by the Minister on 18 […]

Digital Finance : Meeting Ethics and Compliance Challenges in Financial Services
We recognise digitisation as an important topic for the financial services industry; for this reason, we have developed a content programme with the Economist Intelligence Unit that focuses on how Financial Services companies are adapting their risk and reporting procedures to the new digital environment. This unique programme of thought leadership examines the new challenges in […]

Harmonisation of internal model approaches, a new era for banks?
Basel 4 and Single Supervisory Mechanism act to reduce the excessive variability in the results of internal model approaches to credit risk. For more than ten years, Basel reform has encouraged the development and use of internal models designed to better place risk management at the heart of banks’ control arrangements. Basel II saw massive banking […]

The management of regulatory capital following the transition to IFRS 9
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EBA opinion on IFRS 9 and the impact on regulatory capital
After the Basel Committee consultation in October and then the European Commission’s legislative proposal of the package CRR II / CRD V in November 2016, the EBA has now given its opinion on the management impact of IFRS 9 on regulatory capital, notwithstanding a second impact study has just been completed. This opinion, primarily addressed […]

IFRS 9 new provisioning and the phase-in period of regulatory capital: a discretionary approach
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Podcast: Implications of Banks Implementing IFRS 9
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EBA: draft technical standards on Pillar 3 disclosures of ESG risks
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TRIM: Is Winter Coming for Internal Models?
Measuring banking risks is a difficult exercise, but striking a balance between simplistic and overly complex measurement techniques is the key to accurate risk measurement. This was the substance of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) Chair of the Supervisory Board, Danièle Nouy, in a speech at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce in Vienna, on 2nd […]

The Basel Committee finalises the Basel III agreements
On 7 December, after several years of negotiations (starting in 2012 with the market risk review), Mario Draghi, chair of the Basel Committee’s Group of Governors and Head of Supervision (G-HOS), announced the finalisation of the Basel III agreements. These represent the final stage in the post-financial crisis reforms to the prudential regulations. For the […]

Whistleblowers: a path to combatting fraud
While whistleblowing laws and initiatives might differ from country to country, whistleblowers in the financial industry are now well recognized and have gained international attention. Here we analyse the steps taken in the USA to strengthen whistleblowing procedures and practices. Recent allegations of impropriety on several levels have rekindled whistleblowers as a mechanism for identifying […]

Ultimate Forward Rate (UFR): Why we are seeing a change to the rate curve
On 6 February 2018, EIOPA published its latest risk-free interest rate curve to be taken into account for the purposes of Solvency II calculations. Based on calculations for January 2018, the curve is slightly different from previously published curves. This is reflecting significant changes in the long-term expectations of interest rates in recent years which calculates […]

Quantified impacts of IFRS 9 : initial findings
At the end of February 2018, all the major European banks published information on the impact of the implementation of the new standard IFRS 9. IFRS 9 introduces numerous changes (classification, impairment, hedging, etc.). Their impacts at the transition date vary widely from one bank to another. They are negative in most cases, but for […]

SFCR: Review of narrative reports, good practices and EIOPA recommendations
The Solvency II Directive increases the requirements for transparency vis-à-vis both the regulatory authorities and the stakeholders, including policyholders, financial analysts and investors. In this context, insurance undertakings and groups were, for the first time, required to publish a narrative report no later than 19 May 2017, known as the Solvency and Financial Condition Report […]

How companies in the financial services sector can measure their human rights footprint in four steps
The complexities of creating and implementing a due diligence framework to monitor and measure the impact financial services have on human rights can be overwhelming. The EU recommended UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights Reporting Framework (www.UNGPreporting.org) – co-authored by Mazars and Shift – , as well as the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive […]

EBA discussion paper on the management and supervision of ESG risks
European sustainable finance regulations evolved considerably in 2020, and the European Banking Authority (EBA) is continuing this trend into 2021. It recently published a discussion paper assessing the potential inclusion of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks in the supervisory review and evaluation process (SREP) performed by national competent authorities (NCAs)[1]. What firms need to […]

ESG investing: Three risks to consider
The continued popularity of funds with an environmental, social and governance (ESG) focus has put global ESG assets on track to exceed $53tn by 2025, up from nearly $38tn at the end of 20201. As growth continues, expectations for effective compliance policies and controls in place are expected to become more rigorous as political and […]

Benchmark study of approaches to estimate probability of default in the context of climate risk
Recently, initiatives to tackle climate-related and environmental risks in the financial services industry have begun across the world. These initiatives followed the adoption of the United Nations Paris Agreement on climate change, the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development and the European Green Deal. Stress testing and scenario analysis are a common framework proposed by different […]

Equipping NEDs to challenge private investment valuations
A recent major board reshuffle in one of Europe’s largest listed investment companies has focused attention on private investment valuations. It follows concerns raised by an ex-director over the robustness of the directors’ processes for approving investment valuations. The issues primarily question whether the Board of Directors has sufficient training and experience and whether governance […]

Sustainable finance series: Why does sustainable finance matter?
The momentum towards a low-carbon economic system is only set to grow. Financial services firms are pivotal actors in the transition; consequently, increasing demands are being put on them to demonstrate their sustainable finance activities and credentials. This blog explains what sustainable finance is and why it matters to financial services firms. What is Sustainable […]

Asset managers and ESG implementation: turning regulatory and operational compliance into commercial opportunities
ESG-related regulatory requirements, and scrutiny, show no signs of abating. Asset managers have a pivotal role in financing the transition towards low-carbon economic systems. Hence, governments have introduced several ESG-related regulatory requirements that apply to asset managers. Some examples of these are the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) in the EU and the mandatory disclosures […]

The European Parliament devises a new agreement to restrict access and abuse of financial services information
New measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing The European Parliament has adopted a set of stringent measures to strengthen the fight against money laundering and terror financing, alongside circumventing sanctions within EU. These regulations are presented by EU in the form of a “legislative package” comprising three key measures which provide various practical […]

The EBA publishes new report and guidelines in response to risk within the financial services sector
New report on AML/CFT risks in payment institutions In accordance with the European Union regulations, the European Banking Authority (EBA) has been mandated to assess the management of the most significant risks in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/FT). The entity’s analysis is centred around the identification and management of ML-FT risks […]

The Council of Europe provides updates on combatting the financing of terrorism
2022 AML-CFT Committee report available The MONEYVAL Committee, an entity of the Council of Europe which is tasked with addressing challenge of money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/FT), has recently published the AML-CFT report 2022. The findings of the report are primarily centred around adherence to compliance with global sanctions, notably in freezing or confiscation […]

EU bodies update country lists of uncooperative and high-risk countries for financial services
Revised list of uncooperative countries and territories for tax purposes published by the European Council The list of uncooperative countries and territories about tax is an important part of the external tax strategy of the EU. Globally, this strategy intends to contribute to the ongoing efforts to advance good governance practices in the tax domain. […]

The use of post-model adjustments to capture emerging risks
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, post-model adjustments1, or management overlays, have become an increasingly common and accepted mechanism used by banks to manage expected credit losses (ECLs). The number of post-Covid unprecedented events related to the war in Ukraine, energy crisis and global economic uncertainty has raised a number of questions relating to the consistency and […]

Climate change valuation adjustment: introducing a climate change scenario extrapolation to long dated CDS curve
The global climate crisis has triggered the financial sphere to address the way in which it conducts business. Climate risk consideration is currently growing in the banking industry but should also be considered by banks in the Credit Valuation Adjustment (CVA) when pricing derivatives. The credit risk for long dated derivatives (beyond 10 years), reflected […]

Bank credit risk trends show a relative decrease in high risk exposures
Despite banks emerging from the Covid-19 crisis in reasonably good health, the war in Ukraine combined with a global energy crisis and an uncertain economic landscape have once again put the spotlight on credit risk exposures. To better understand credit risk trends, Mazars conducted an analysis of 26 banks in 11 European countries in May […]

Diversity in forward-looking macroeconomic scenarios
Under IFRS 9, forward-looking information is a key component of Expected Credit Loss (ECL) calculations. However, forward-looking information requires a significant level of judgement, making comparisons difficult to navigate. Indeed, similar to the use of post-model adjustments, forward-looking scenarios have also been reported by stakeholders in the context of the IFRS 9 impairment post-implementation review […]

DORA: how to move from operational risk management to operational resilience?
DORA (the Digital Operational Resilience Act) is the key regulatory outlook for IT and Cyber risk between now and 2025. The European Supervisory Agencies have sought to strengthen the resilience of institutions by emphasising the need to evolve the approach to operational risk management, of which information and communication technology risks are a part. DORA […]

Eligibility ratios in the insurance sector: improved practices based on recommendations issued by regulators
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Transitioning to greener practices in the real estate sector
In 2022, the European Union implemented the green taxonomy for the second year, requiring companies to disclose indicators related to climate objectives. The green taxonomy aims to guide capital investment towards environmentally sustainable activities, making companies assess their alignment with the EU’s sustainable transition and enabling financial institutions to prioritise funding for projects contributing the […]

Lessons from the spring 2023 banking turmoil: five areas for banks to focus their attention
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Sustainable finance series: Driving credible ESG actions
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The Fed shares instructions on its first pilot climate scenario analysis exercise
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ESG investing: From buzzword to mainstream
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France steps up sustainable transformation with mission-led business law
France’s innovative and incentivising Action Plan for Business Growth and Transformation (PACTE) law lays the legal foundations for corporate social responsibility. With more than 400 companies established as “sociétés à mission” – mission-led businesses – by the end of 2021, this new scheme is an undeniable success. The number of mission-led companies has doubled in […]

The FSOC weighs in on climate risk
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Sustainability and climate risk: what can banks expect?
The growing importance of sustainability issues and the role of credit institutions in financing transformation places climate and environmental risks at the core of regulatory and supervisory scrutiny today. For some years now, the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), comprising central banks and national supervisory authorities, has been working to enhance sustainability and […]

Embarking on an ambitious common climate framework
As part of the European Green Deal, the European Union intends to encourage green investments and prioritise the revision of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD). The European or Green Taxonomy, which sets out a precise classification of sustainable activities with the strategic objective of redirecting capital flows towards those activities from 2022, is a result […]

Banks need to step up efforts on climate and environmental risk disclosures
In March 2022, the European Central Bank (ECB) published its second snapshot of climate-related and environmental risk disclosure levels among significant institutions under its direct supervision. In line with the results of the first snapshot published in November 2020 – regarded as the baseline measurement – none of the institutions in scope for this second […]

Eurofi financial summit addresses EU’s ecological and digital transition
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Sustainable finance regulations signal a sea change for insurance sector
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How to address climate risk in the banking prudential framework
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COP27: stepping up implementation and the role of finance
A lot of attention at COP27 was focused on the likelihood of keeping global warming to 1.5 °C, in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. The consensus was that we are in real danger of falling off track. Few nations revised their nationally determined contributions to reduce their carbon footprint compared […]

Results of the ECB 2022 climate risk stress test
The first supervisory climate risk stress test (2022 CST) conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB) has concluded with official results and findings made public on 8 July 2022. The exercise has complemented the broader ECB’s agenda to assess the readiness of banks in Europe to manage climate-related and environmental risks. The 2022 CST was […]

Banks grapple with GAR objectives
In force since 1 January 2022, the European Union’s Taxonomy regulation aims to support the market for green finance. More specifically, greater transparency in the market will help prevent greenwashing by providing information to investors about the environmental performance of assets and economic activities of financial and non-financial information. For the banking sector, the target […]

Reliable information key to the insurance sector’s ability to apply Green Taxonomy
The objective of the European Union’s Taxonomy regulation, in force since 1 January 2022, is twofold for the insurance and reinsurance sector. First, to measure the share of investments devoted to financing economic activities eligible for the taxonomy, known as the Investment Ratio. Second, to measure the share of gross premiums written in eligible non-life […]

The FED announced a pilot climate scenario analysis exercise for early 2023
The Federal Reserve Board (FED) will commence its first bottom-up climate scenario analysis exercise at the beginning of 2023, as announced on 29 September. The exercise will be exploratory in nature and will not result in extra capital requirements. The list of designated participants consists of six of the largest U.S. banks, i.e., Bank of […]

Can BIS develop a cryptoasset regulatory framework without limiting the innovation process?
In summer 2022, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published its second consultation paper on the prudential treatment of cryptoasset exposures. The guidelines outlined in the proposed document follow an initial discussion paper released in 2019 and a first consultative document issued in 2021. The complete text is set up as a new standard to […]

Green taxonomy trends facing the real estate sector
The European Union (EU) has taken the first step in directing capital investments toward so-called sustainable activities with the introduction of the Green Taxonomy on 1 January 2022. For the real estate sector, the objective is to measure the share of eligible activities contributing to the first two climate objectives – the mitigation of climate […]

Results of the ECB 2022 thematic review on climate-related and environmental risks
The European Central Bank (ECB) has expressed a significant supervisory concern surrounding more than half of supervised banks in terms of the progress made on fulfilling the expectations specified in the Guide on climate-related and environmental risks. The ECB recently concluded its 2022 thematic review of the banking sector’s alignment with supervisory expectations. This review […]

Raising the bar
One of the key takeaways of integrated reporting is that non-financial information ultimately has an impact on a company’s value. It’s for this reason that insurance giant Generali – an international Group based in Italy – prefers to use the term pre-financial rather than non-financial information. For Massimo Romano, who leads Generali’s Group Integrated Reporting […]