ICMA Podcast

The end of 2021 is a key and long-awaited milestone in the LIBOR transition process. As this important date approaches, this ICMA webinar will take stock of progress in the adoption of alternative risk-free rates in the bond market and active transition of legacy bonds; consider the various legislative solutions designed to address the issue of “tough legacy” bonds; and discuss how LIBOR transition is progressing in Asia Pacific.

Speakers include:

Paul Richards, Managing Director, Head of Market Practice & Regulatory Policy, ICMA

Katie Kelly, Senior Director, Market Practice & Regulatory Policy, ICMA

Charlotte Bellamy, Senior Director, Market Practice & Regulatory Policy, ICMA

Mushtaq Kapasi, Managing Director, Chief Representative, Asia-Pacific, ICMA

Robert Parker, Chair of ICMA’s Asset Management and Investors Council, reviews the market events of the past weeks, including rising inflation, the corporate earnings season, the growth outlook in China, and the upcoming central bank meetings.

In advance of COP26, ICMA’s Nicholas Pfaff moderates a high-level discussion on Climate Transition Finance outlining the key issues and also introducing Japan’s regional guidance based on the Climate Transition Finance Handbook. Featuring contributions from Chris Iggo, Chief Investment Officer, AXA IM Core; Ketish Pothalingam, Executive VP, Portfolio Manager, PIMCO; and  Motoko Ogawa, Deputy Director of Environmental Economy Office, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environmental Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan.

The UK Government and authorities issued a flurry of consultations impacting primary bond market regulation this summer. In this podcast, ICMA’s Ruari Ewing and Charlotte Bellamy discuss the consultations and ICMA members’ key concerns in this area.

ICMA’s President Martin Scheck speaks to Leslie Maasdorp, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of the New Development Bank, about the rationale and purpose behind the bank, its funding model and governance structure and their focus on infrastructure and sustainable development projects in the BRICS countries and other emerging economies. Leslie also discusses the NDB’s overall environmental, social and sustainability goals, along with their pandemic support and sustainable bond issue.

Robert Parker, Chair of ICMA’s Asset Management and Investors Council, reviews the market events of the past weeks, including the Evergrande debt situation and potential contagion risk, the Fed economic outlook and review of their monetary policy guidance, as well as the German election results.

ICMA’s Mushtaq Kapasi speaks with Pratima Divgi, CDP Regional Director, on the topic of environmental disclosure & impact reporting. Pratima provides a brief introduction on CDP’s role in sustainable finance and discusses how CDP relates to other disclosure regimes, the methodology for investor benchmarking, and how sustainability reporting may continue to evolve in the future.

Rebekah Bray of ICMA Women’s Network Nordic region speaks with Alexis Cousins of SEB’s Debt Capital Markets team to discuss workplace inequality. As a PhD candidate at the Stockholm School of Economics, Alexis’ research focuses on workplace inequality and the struggles of under-represented populations. She discusses general initiatives in the financial sector to address this issue, alongside a new programme at SEB to facilitate diversity and opportunities for under-represented talent.

Robert Parker, Chair of ICMA’s Asset Management and Investors Council, reviews the market events of the past weeks while considering geopolitical risks and potential divergence in monetary policies ahead of central banks' September meetings.

ICMA’s Mushtaq Kapasi speaks with Zalina Shamsudin, General Manager, Capital Markets Malaysia, about green and social sukuk in the context of the global sustainable and Islamic capital markets. The discussion covers how Islamic finance principles interact with conventional sustainable finance, the investor base for green sukuk, and Malaysia’s efforts to grow the market and facilitate further positive investment in south-east Asia.