Solactive announces the launch of the Solactive ARC ESG Big Data Europe Index, which was developed with ARC Responsible Investment earlier this year, and is designed to track the performance of European stocks with a high consensus Environmental, Governance, and Social (ESG) Score, based on data provided by OWL Analytics and Investment Research.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has launched an open-ended fund for central bank investments in green bonds. Responding to a growing demand for climate-friendly investments among official institutions, the BIS's green bond fund initiative helps central banks to incorporate environmental sustainability objectives in the management of their reserves.

Bond market performance in 2019 has been dominated by a theme of central banks pivoting towards easier policy. In particular, the US Federal Reserve has signalled potential interest rate cuts, marking a meaningful shift compared with the hiking cycle of the past three years (Figure 1). This has been a driving force behind double digit returns in many sectors of the bond market in the first half of the year.

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU's securities markets regulator, has published its 2020 Work Programme (WP), setting out its priorities and areas of focus for the next 12 months in support of its mission to enhance investor protection and promote stable and orderly financial markets.

During a conference organized by the European Institute of Financial Regulation (EIFR), several experts emphasized the important role to be played by investors in order to organize the transition to the zero carbon footprint.