News in the spotlight: Nordea Wins EUR 1 Billion ESG Covered Bond Mandate from ABN AMRO
ABN AMRO Investment Solutions awarded Nordea Asset Management a EUR 1 billion sub-advisory mandate for European covered bonds on April 29, 2026. The ABN AMRO Nordea European Covered Bonds strategy is managed by Nordea’s Fixed Income Rates Team, leveraging over 20 years of expertise and EUR 40 billion in assets under management.
Products and Services
Aviva Investors, Climate Impact Partners Launch Colombia Forest Restoration Project
Climate Impact Partners partnered with Aviva Investors to fund Llanos Vivos, a large-scale afforestation and restoration project in Colombia’s biodiverse Orinoquía region. The initiative spans up to 13,600 hectares of degraded grassland—forest size of Paris—using native species to generate high-integrity carbon removal credits. Initial phase targets 2.4 million tonnes CO₂ removal; full scale exceeds six million tonnes over lifetime. &Forest handles on-ground implementation; Climate Impact originates and manages delivery. Aviva funds via its Carbon Removal Fund, securing rights to future credits for returns and climate hedging. Co-benefits include 110+ local jobs during peak planting in nurseries, machinery, management, and protection. Community farms boost food production and skills; ecological corridors enhance biodiversity resilience. Established forest designates as permanent conservation land.
Bezos Earth Fund Grants USD 34M for Sustainable Fashion Tech
The Bezos Earth Fund has awarded USD 34 million in grants to support technologies aimed at making fashion more sustainable, with a focus on reducing the industry’s environmental footprint. The funding will back efforts to improve textile recycling, develop lower-impact materials, and advance innovations that can help create clothing with less waste and pollution across the supply chain. The investment builds on its sustainable fashion program work of 2025 with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the Bezos Earth Fund Next Thread Initiative, a USD 6.25 million grant with the CFDA to provide awards to independent fashion designers focused on sustainability and scholarships to students pursuing sustainable design. Grants go to US universities such as Columbia University/FIT, UC Berkeley, Clemson University and the Cotton Foundation.
Nordea Wins EUR 1 Billion ESG Covered Bond Mandate from ABN AMRO
ABN AMRO Investment Solutions awarded Nordea Asset Management a EUR 1 billion sub-advisory mandate for European covered bonds on April 29, 2026. The ABN AMRO Nordea European Covered Bonds strategy is managed by Nordea’s Fixed Income Rates Team, leveraging over 20 years of expertise and EUR 40 billion in assets under management. Covered bonds—fixed-income securities backed by residential mortgages or public loans—offer dual recourse protection with 200+ years without defaults, yielding higher returns than government bonds at low risk. AAIS views them as core holdings for stability amid volatility. Classified as SFDR Article 8, the fund integrates Nordea’s sustainability methodology: exclusions and responsible investment across research, analysis, and construction. Denmark-based team capitalizes on Scandinavia’s mature covered bond markets.
ESG- and Green Bond Issuances
World Bank Prices 14-Year Outcome Bond for South Africa Restoration
The World Bank priced a USD120 million, 14-year Spekboom Restoration Outcome Bond in South Africa, its longest-dated outcome bond to date. The bond will support large-scale ecosystem restoration in the Eastern Cape, using spekboom, a native drought-resilient plant known for carbon sequestration and land recovery benefits. The structure links investor returns to environmental outcomes. Investors receive full principal protection from the World Bank, plus a coupon with a fixed component and a variable component tied to restoration performance. The bond is expected to mobilize USD 25 million of private capital for the scale-up of a 50,000-hectare restoration project developed and operated by Imperative. The project aims to restore degraded land, improve soil quality and water retention, strengthen climate resilience, and support biodiversity recovery.
EU launches EUR 3bn fund to boost green bond market
The European Commission has launched a EUR 3 billion funding programme to help support the issuance of green bonds, aiming to deepen Europe’s sustainable finance market and make it easier for companies to raise capital for climate-friendly investments. The initiative is designed to mobilise private finance by providing a stronger pipeline of eligible projects and by giving investors greater confidence in the green bond market. The Commission said the measure will support the EU’s wider climate and clean transition goals, while also helping maintain Europe’s leadership in sustainable finance standards. By backing green bond issuance, the programme is intended to improve market liquidity, broaden participation, and accelerate investment in projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other low-carbon infrastructure.
ESG Data and Analytics
FCA launches voluntary Reporting Pilot for ESG Rating Providers
The Financial Conduct Authority opened a voluntary pilot on April 27, 2026, inviting ESG rating providers to test proposed reporting metrics ahead of UK regulation. Providers register interest by May 13; selected firms shape the framework through feedback on clarity, feasibility, proportionality, and supervisory utility. The pilot assesses metrics from CP25/34 consultation, including rating objectives, ESG dimensions, factors, scale meanings, peer-relative vs. absolute scoring, and coverage universe. It explores data availability, including non-public datasets, without influencing authorisation decisions. Participation informs Q4 2026 final rules (effective June 2028), potentially revising burdens for diverse models. Hearings and workshops support engagement.
Leadership Announcements
GHG Protocol names Tim Mohin as first CEO
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol appointed Tim Mohin as its first CEO effective June 1, 2026, creating an executive role amid global carbon accounting evolution. Mohin, former GRI CEO (2017-2020), brings sustainability leadership from Intel, Apple, AMD, Persefoni, and BCG Climate Director, plus U.S. EPA/Senate policy experience. The move institutionalizes GHG Protocol’s structure with independent steering committee and standards board, supporting standards updates and COP30-mandated ISO harmonization. Mohin will align frameworks, build disclosure trust, and scale impact across governments, regulators, businesses, and civil society. Used by 90% of Fortune 500 for emissions baselines, GHG Protocol’s evolution addresses Scope 3 inconsistencies driving trillions of dollars in greenwashing risks. CEO role enables agile response to SBTi, TNFD interoperability, and jurisdictional demands.