Steady Fed gives sense of balanced risks: “healthy” U.S. economic trajectory, potential inflation rise towards 2%; Frontier market debt growing quickly — total outstanding $3.2 trillion — sovereign defaults low (for now); Green and sustainability-linked lending nearly doubles in 2018 – now almost $100 billion outstanding; LIBOR transition fraught with risks — linked to contract maturity profiles, spreads to new benchmarks

The green loan market is still a niche but growing fast: gross issuance hit $60 billion in 2018—up by 30% from 2017    

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations front and center for EM infrastructure

With this note we are launching a new line of topical research on issues related to sustainable finance. After record levels of issuance in Q4 2018 and Q1 2019, the green bond universe is now over $430 billion

Sustainable growth high on the policy agenda; Market fragmentation poses risks for scaling up green finance markets; Demographic and social challenges for growth in China point to a decline in savings rates and home sales

The IIF has submitted the response letter to the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) Consultation Paper - Enhancing banks’ and insurers’ approaches to managing the financial risks from climate change.

Fed flexibility on balance sheet normalization could have far-reaching consequences; Tech stock valuations suggest fears that trade war is morphing into tech war; A more dovish Fed spells respite for highly indebted EM borrowers; Unprecedented growth in green syndicated lending; Sharply higher debt in vulnerable low-income countries puts sustainable development goals at risk