Canadian fossil fuel companies Cenovus and Enbridge face a greenwashing complaint https://t.co/NxEf1TCCVM ...

Two years after it warned of greenwashing risks in the market for sustainability-linked loans, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority says banks and borrowers appear to have made meaningful improvements https://t.co/dq1iUSzrCI ...

Once firms were accused of “greenwashing”: making nonsense promises, and doing nothing to achieve their climate targets. Now they seem to be “greenhushing”—getting on with the job of decarbonisation without making a fuss https://t.co/k59EjlZR4BPhoto: Getty Images https://t.co/Ox8iNonwkY ...

Core Insights - The sustainable fund market has reached a size of approximately USD 3.3 trillion, with 84% of assets concentrated in Europe, and nearly 60% of euro-denominated public fund assets invested in Article 8 and Article 9 funds [9][22][51] - Since 2022, the growth of sustainable funds has slowed due to macroeconomic factors, high interest rates, ESG backlash, and regulatory tightening, leading to outflows in the US market [9][27] - Regulatory initiatives in the EU and UK aim to address greenwashing concerns by establishing clearer fund naming and categorization guidelines, which may lead to significant rebranding in the sustainable fund market [9][47][61] Group 1: Market Overview - The sustainable fund market is predominantly European, accounting for 84% of the ESG open-ended and exchange-traded fund universe [9][22] - The number of sustainable fund launches has decreased, with only 311 new funds in 2024 compared to 573 in 2023, indicating a maturing market [31] - In 2024, 351 sustainable funds closed in Europe, a 40% increase from 2023, with expectations that 30-50% of EU funds with ESG-related names may change their names by mid-2025 [35][38] Group 2: Regulatory Environment - The EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) categorizes funds into Article 6, Article 8, and Article 9, with the latter two often referred to as "light green" and "dark green" funds [49][51] - The UK FCA has introduced a voluntary labelling regime to help consumers navigate sustainable investment products, which includes anti-greenwashing rules and specific criteria for sustainability labels [55][59] - ESMA's guidelines on fund naming will become applicable in May 2025, requiring funds using ESG-related terms to ensure that their investments align with their stated sustainability objectives [61][62] Group 3: Greenwashing Concerns - Concerns about greenwashing have led to regulatory scrutiny, with IOSCO categorizing risks related to misleading fund names and marketing practices [42][43] - Data on greenwashing remains inconclusive, with limited evidence of widespread issues, although some enforcement actions have been reported [45][46] - The report emphasizes the need for a diverse approach to assessing sustainable investments, cautioning against a reductionist view that limits definitions to the EU Taxonomy [12][13]