Are we missing a trick by not tweaking tried-and-true instruments for sustainable finance? Can we talk more broadly about commercial viability? And then, of course, there’s Goldman Sachs.

The first refugee investment impact bond is poised to launch in 2019.

The announcement on Thursday that Shemara Wikramanayake will replace Nicholas Moore as CEO of Macquarie Group in November is significant for two reasons.

For our best bank for sustainable finance award, HSBC edges BNP Paribas and BAML for the range of its deals and its involvement in industry bodies that are furthering sustainable finance.

When Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Asia president, Matthew Koder, gets going on corporate responsibility, your best chance of getting out of the room within an hour and a half is an earthquake. Koder chose to pitch personally in only one category, this one, and in truth everything BAML put in for – investment banking, transaction services and country awards from the Philippines to Japan – is presented through the filter of corporate responsibility.

One perk of interviewing banks about sustainable finance has to be the building tours taking in recycled carpets and in-building power plants, but it is not often that you get treated to a rooftop tour of bee hives.

The pitches for the Euromoney Awards for Excellence always provide a revealing window into the inner workings of banks and part of the fun of it all is to separate the grand statements from the reality.

Ten years on from a financial crisis often portrayed as caused by the greed of bankers, we are talking recycled carpets and alleviating poverty. It is a genuinely good thing.

In green bond issuance, Bank of America leads the way, adding a fourth green bond to its list in May this year. It was its largest yet, at $2.25 billion, and its proceeds will support renewable energy generation.

Improving social mobility, caring in the community, supporting employees in challenging times and committing to equity – Bank of America has shown a long-standing commitment to D&I.

If there is one bank in North America that is shoring up the financial system, moving finance into a modern era and willing to do what it takes to create a healthy, safe and prosperous society for employees, clients and communities, it is Citi, North America’s best bank for corporate responsibility.

The French bank has committed itself to sustainable finance across its entire business.

In sustainable finance, it is often the case that what is not financed shows a bank’s commitment to sustainability just as much as what is financed. BNP Paribas is committed to both sides of this coin and it wins the award this year for western Europe’s best bank for sustainable finance.

Access Bank in Nigeria, under managing director Herbert Wigwe, leads the way in social and environmental banking efforts, helping improve the country’s health and education, reducing emissions, spearheading sustainability and supporting financial inclusion. Its vast range of work wins Access Bank the award for Africa’s best bank for corporate responsibility.

Mexico may now be the world’s 15th largest economy, but approximately 38 million Mexican adults are still unbanked – roughly the size of the population of Canada. Education and job creation have been a focus of the Mexican government; one bank in the country stands out for its efforts to help that progress by providing financing solutions, Citibanamex, which wins the award for Latin America’s best bank for sustainable finance.

It is perhaps obvious that Erste Bank is leading the charge to help the unbanked and underbanked across central and eastern Europe – it was part of its mission when it was established in 1819 after all. And some 200 years later, financial inclusion is still just as pressing in the countries it operates.

Garanti Bank has not only led the financial industry in Turkey with its environmental policies but also the whole corporate sector. For example, it was the first Turkish company to sign the UN Global Compact’s Business Leadership Criteria on Carbon Pricing. And last year it took this one step further, becoming the only financial institution in the world to be included in the 2017 CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) Water A List – one of just 78 companies that meet the highest standards for water security. Garanti is CEE’s best bank for sustainable finance.

Lloyds Banking Group’s ‘Helping Britain prosper’ plan, launched four years ago, has put corporate responsibility at the top of the UK bank’s priorities. It was a bold initiative, addressing Britain’s housing needs, helping people plan for the future, helping businesses to start up and grow, championing diversity, supporting clean energy and tackling social disadvantage. It earns Lloyds the award for western Europe’s best bank for corporate responsibility.

On the back of the worst drought in living memory, the City of Cape Town issued South Africa’s first true green bond last year. It turned to one bank to be the lead arranger – Rand Merchant Bank (RMB). The city was able to raise R1 billion ($73 million) from eight allocated bidders, having received bids of almost R5 billion from 31 different bidders. The proceeds will be put to use financing green projects such as emergency water supply initiatives.

Under Thiago Fernandes, head of environmental, social and governance (ESG) for Latin America, Bank of America Merrill Lynch is changing the way corporate philanthropy operates in Brazil; this year it wins Euromoney’s award for Latin America’s best bank for corporate responsibility.

Which banks are doing the most to impress and attract their future employees? A potential young recruit gives her opinion.

The French bank hopes with one small acquisition to burnish its green credentials, meet government requirements on renewable energy and show its potential to adapt disruptive financial technology

To expect impact investment to be of greater size now than it is would be to miss the point of it altogether.

As the oceans reach a crisis point, private capital must be deployed to fund sustainable solutions. Given that the seas are equivalent to the world’s seventh largest economy, finance is more aligned with the deep than has been previously recognized. A handful of bankers and investment managers are leading the way, but success will require a collective effort from across the financial industry.

Managed marine protected areas are an effective tool in coastal ocean conservation. They are also ripe to be included in investment structures. The upsides for everyone may help push the protected area of the world’s seas from 2% to 30% by 2030.

In April Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte took a characteristically drastic step. He closed Boracay. It is an indication of the environmental threat from marine pollution. Can the private sector help clean up the seas?

Private-sector investors are taking their first tentative steps into sustainable fisheries projects. Alignment of interests and investment returns look good on paper, but there are many practical issues that need to be addressed before radical transformation can occur.

As cities around the US see populations increase, so the smaller banks that serve low- to moderate-income urban families are being squeezed out. New York is no exception. Financial inclusion is at risk of becoming an urban myth.

Global Findex Report released by World Bank; usage and savings targets remain elusive.

Tahira Raza was among Pakistan’s pioneering FWB's first employees 30 years ago, with a mission to advance female empowerment in the country. Having returned as chief executive, she is battling to compete with bigger local rivals.