Increasing simplicity and clarity in the market for
environmentally-focused investments may help investors construct
portfolios that generate greater returns and fewer carbon
emissions, McGuireWoods London debt finance partner Marc Naidootold Net Zero Investor in
a Jan. 13, 2023, story on green bonds.

Green bonds provide financing for projects that stand to benefit
the environment, and a boom in green investing during the pandemic
brought a proliferation of options that threatened to confuse
investors. The market has since slowed, but Naidoo told Net
Zero Investor that the shakeout may end up increasing the
quality and accountability of those green bonds that are
issued.

“Whilst some would say that an increase in regulation
creates a more standardised market with stricter guidelines, the
other side of the coin is that the more regulations there are the
more loopholes come into existence that can be exploited. Confusion
reigns supreme where there are multiple standards to adhere to, and
whilst regulators are trying to do the right thing, sometimes this
can be counter intuitive,” Naidoo said.

Naidoo focuses his debt finance practice on emerging markets,
with a particular emphasis on Africa and sustainable finance, and
is a member of the five-person executive committee leading
McGuireWoods’ ESG task force.

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Proskauer Rose LLP

Welcome to the UK Regulation Round Up, a regular bulletin highlighting the latest developments in UK and EU financial services regulation.

Alvarez & Marsal

On 9 December 2022, the Dutch Ministry of Finance announced that the abolishment of the Dutch REIT regime will be postponed from 1 January 2024 to 1 January 2025.