Conservatives pledge to scrap ‘stifling’ ESG reporting for British businesses November 9, 2025 The Conservatives have pledged to scrap all mandatory reporting related to sustainability and climate change as they focus on business-friendly policy commitments. The party has argued that environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting has “mutated” into a thicket of red tape which reduces the competitiveness of British business. “[There] is no evidence that [reporting measures] [...]
Mining has its mojo back – will London miss out? October 15, 2025 After years spent cast as the underbelly of the global economy, mining is undergoing a reputational and financial revival. Ali Lyon explores what’s behind the renaissance, and whether London risks losing its status as the industry’s spiritual home as a result. With his thick-rimmed spectacles, salt-and-pepper hair and wiry, lean build, Gustavo Pimenta is a [...]
Ex-head of British Army to lead Santander’s defence lending October 6, 2025 The former head of the British Army is set to lead Santander’s bid to bolster its defence lending as the industry experiences soaring demand with nations upping spending. General Sir Patrick Sanders was the chief of the general staff from 2022 to 2024 in the British Army and is set to join the Spanish-headquartered bank [...]
Net zero banking group abandons operations after member exodus October 3, 2025 The global Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) has announced it will cease operations following an exodus of its membership after President Donald Trump returned to power. In a statement released on Friday, the group said following a vote it will transfer from a member-based alliance to establish its guidance as a framework. “As a result [...]
Banking net zero club to change structure after member exodus August 27, 2025 The global banking industry’s climate group will hold a vote on the future of its structure following a mass exodus of members. The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) will determine whether it will transform from a membership-based alliance to a “new framework initiative”. It comes after the world’s banking giants fled the group as the financial [...]
How the banking net zero fantasy ran out of gas August 20, 2025 Over the past year, the world’s biggest banks‘ net zero enthusiasm has quickly and quietly dried up. Top lenders have backtracked, diluted or outright abandoned their environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies. The return of President Donald Trump has been highlighted as a turning point for green finance with firms across the financial industry turning sour [...]
Rachel Reeves told to ‘get out of the way’ ahead of Autumn Budget August 13, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been told to “let businesses get on with it and get out of the way” ahead of delivering her second Autumn Budget in the coming months. A group of 1,500 private business leaders surveyed by KPMG said the Chancellor should focus on promoting higher wages and lower costs for companies. They [...]
Barclays follows HSBC in ditching net zero banks club August 1, 2025 Barclays has become the second London-based bank to exit the net zero banks club as the financial services industry continues to row back on climate policies. The FTSE 100 giant – which recorded a £1bn profit jump for the second quarter – said on Friday the UN-convened Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) “no longer has [...]
Artists, pop stars, musicians, lend me your ears: We can’t stop AI from using our work July 2, 2025 Banning AI from training on artists' work is like banning people from reading, writes Sir Robin Millar in today's Notebook.
Calm heads make a welcome return to ESG debate July 2, 2025 In May 2022, HSBC’s head of responsible investing, Stuart Kirk, took to the stage at a City conference and did something extraordinary; he criticised the financial services industry’s obsession with climate change. With a degree of candour that would ultimately cost him his job, Kirk said “I feel like it’s getting a little bit out [...]