Standard Chartered tries to have it both ways on coal

Vietnam coal power plant

Op-ed by Julien Vincent, executive director Market Forces Published in Asia Times, 21 January 2019 While 2018 climate-change news was dominated by President Donald Trump’s announcement of the United States’ intention to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, it was also a year when the financial sector continued its inexorable march … Read More

Whitehaven next in frame for investor pressure on climate

Market Forces in the media Op-ed by Julien Vincent, executive director Market Forces Sydney Morning Herald/The Age, 19 October 2018 Next week investors will get the opportunity to vote on whether an ASX100 company that is custodian of their money should align its strategy with the Paris Agreement on climate change, … Read More

The power of finance to slow new coal plants

Market Forces in the media By Julien Vincent, executive director Op-ed in the Asia Times, August 29, 2018 So far, 2018 has seen seven banks dominant in Southeast Asia either release or update their policies related to coal, the single-biggest source of greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide. This number is soon to … Read More

Japanese bank policies rule out one third of overseas coal plant finance

Coal stacks

Market Forces in the media RenewEconomy, 28 August 2018 Bernadette Maheandiran, Market Forces Legal Analyst In a major shift from some of the world’s largest funders of coal power, new policies should rule out financial support to a third of the coal-fired power stations currently under consideration by Japan’s three major … Read More

It’s about time super funds came clean on climate

By Julien Vincent, Executive director, Market Forces Sydney Morning Herald/Age, 2 August 2018.  2 August 2018 Transparency has never been superannuation industry’s strong suit. Despite super being one of the biggest investments Australians make over their lifetimes, most of us have hardly any idea what our retirement savings are invested … Read More

The incredible shrinking coal industry

Market Forces in the media Originally published in RenewEconomy, 13 October 2014 A lot has changed in the last few years. Just a few years ago, with prices of both thermal and coking coal through the roof, it was cigars and caviar time for an industry who were proposing more … Read More

Stranded assets, anyone? Testing times for the fossil fuel market

ORIGINALLY POSTED IN RENEWECONOMY, 17 October 2013 The phrase “buyer beware” is a particularly pertinent one for fossil fuel investors in the current market. The combined effects of global climate action, renewables growth, economic decline and pollution reduction have worked to dampen growth and sap investor confidence, as well as … Read More