Editor’s note: Davos, governance and sustainable finance

The latest edition of our Sustainable Views newsletter

Dear reader,

Hello from a crisp London, where yesterday’s snow sighting helped me get in the spirit for my upcoming trip to Davos. 

It’ll be my first visit to the Alpine resort for the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering of big business, finance and political names, where the term “sustainability” will no doubt pepper many high-profile discussions. The WEF’s own official programme has one of its main themes dedicated to creating a “carbon-neutral and nature-positive world”.

Financing solutions to address the climate and nature crises will definitely be part of my own discussions at Davos. I’ll be moderating a series of debates throughout the week organised by Doconomy, a tech company that works with the UN, banks and other organisations to improve awareness about the carbon impact of financial transactions, and with which Sustainable Views and our division here at the Financial Times, FT Specialist, have partnered.

You can find more information and a link to listen to our chats here. Do get in touch if you’ll be at Davos too.

As for today’s coverage, Alex looks at whether a proposal to relax eligibility criteria for companies listing in London may weaken governance standards. 

The Financial Conduct Authority’s planned reforms are designed to attract new listings to the UK venue, which companies have been shunning in favour of other jurisdictions – most notably the US. Some experts, however, warn that such changes could expose investors to greater risk.

Meanwhile, Florence looks at developments in nuclear energy and considers whether small modular reactors are set to boost the prospects of the controversial power source in 2024.

While developers point to the cheaper and faster route to nuclear power offered by SMRs, others suggest these types of reactors may run into the same challenges as their larger predecessors. The piece is packed with data and insights; it’s definitely worth your time.

Lastly, we share a report considering whether the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation has actually led to the decarbonisation of funds describing themselves as focusing or caring about ESG aspects. Find out more in our knowledge hub.

Until tomorrow,

Silvia

Silvia Pavoni is the editor of Sustainable Views