Greenomy Company Portal Testimonial: Akuo

The EU Taxonomy Reporting Obligations

Since January 2022, the EU Taxonomy has made it compulsory for corporates to carry out mandatory annual reporting on their economic activities’ contribution to both climate change mitigation and adaptation. The required report must adhere to a standardised reporting framework which can be immediately shared with regulators, as well as credit institutions, and asset managers. 

The sustainability report will shine a spotlight on entities’ sustainability practices. This will trigger the domino effect of attracting private investment towards corporates with sustainable activities, particularly from asset managers and credit institutions who want to make their investment portfolios and loan books greener. Therefore sustainable corporates who carry out their sustainable finance screening will attract more investment, lower their finance costs, and support their own business development.

About Greenomy

Greenomy is a SaaS which helps corporates understand what data they need to report, and empowers them to compile and upload this data onto our online platform. Our cloud-based platform then generates a report which can be immediately shared with asset managers and credit institutions via the platform's ecosystem. The report is created in a format that complies with EU Taxonomy/NFRD/SFDR regulatory requirements, and can therefore be directly shared with regulatory bodies.

Our platform’s outcome and mission will enable the redirection of funds towards sustainable activities, speeding up the transition to a carbon-neutral economy. 

Greenomy currently works with corporates across the EU and aims to expand globally, with a pilot already underway in the UK, and with others lined up for global markets once they adopt their own, regional, green taxonomies. For example, Akuo is a multinational corporation that is currently using the Greenomy solution.

Akuo

Akuo is an independent global renewable energy power producer and developer that uses the Greenomy tool to reach its annual sustainable finance reporting goals.

Akuo is headquartered in Paris, France, has over 350 employees, and has a presence in over 15 countries globally. It focuses on energy generation from wind, solar, hydraulics, and biomass. The company is present across the entire value chain, including project development, financing, construction, and operation. They have onboarded the Greenomy solution to screen their green bonds against the EU Taxonomy.

We conducted a short Q&A with Jérôme Chosson, head of corporate and project finance & investor relations to find out how using the Greenomy tool is helping Akuo to fulfil its sustainability reporting obligations:

Q&A:

Greenomy: Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us and elaborate upon how Greenomy is helping Akuo to screen its green bonds. Please could you provide us with a small introduction to the EU Taxonomy - what are the requirements and how does it apply to you?

Jérôme: Our company regularly uses the capital markets to raise funds in the form of green bonds and currently has several green bonds outstanding. In 2021, the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) updated the voluntary guidelines for green bond issuance, by recommending issuers be more transparent about their sustainability strategies and commitments. Plus it encourages, where relevant, disclosure of the degree of alignment of projects with official or market-developed taxonomies. Similarly, under the new EU Green Bond Standard, funds raised through a bond should be fully allocated to projects aligned with the EU Taxonomy. Our aim is to continue to meet the expectations of the investors who place their trust in us by providing them with the necessary information for their reporting and investment choices.

Greenomy: How did you come across Greenomy?

Jérôme: We were contacted by Euroclear who were testing the solution developed by the fintech Greenomy, which aims to facilitate the issuance of green bonds according to the new EU Green Bond Standard and the generation of non-financial reports in line with the European directives.

Greenomy: What is the main reason you would recommend our solution?

Jérôme: The Greenomy solution is easy to use and the step-by-step user guide allows the generation of a complete report in line with investors' expectations, particularly in terms of the EU Taxonomy. The Greenomy solution covers the different elements of the regulation and is ultimately a real time saver.

Greenomy: If there is one word that would describe your experience with us, what would it be and why?

Jérôme: Successful. The Greenomy tool delivered on its promises and the screening for one of our green bond loans was successful.

How Greenomy can help your company

If you are a corporate with over 500 employees, you are obligated under EU law to carry out mandatory sustainable finance screening. Furthermore, as of 2023, this will expand to listed and non-listed companies with more than 250 employees (over 50,000 mid-sized listed and private companies) who will need to report on eligibility and alignment with the EU Taxonomy.

This onset of new sustainable finance legislation can feel like a maze for corporates. Considering this, Greenomy aims to provide you with a compass to navigate your way through the tricky legislative pathways, and to ensure that you are compliant with the EU Taxonomy regulation. We also aim to help corporates take positive steps toward improving their sustainability scores through our transition tool, which offers customised, actionable insights and continuous improvement suggestions for your company’s sustainability practices.

Using our digital tool, corporates can capture, certify, and manage their EU Taxonomy aligned data, by:

• Uploading and storing company ESG data and supporting documentation onto the platform;
• Executing EU Taxonomy technical screening for all eligible economic activities;
• Obtaining a certification of EU Taxonomy aligned data from qualified third parties and auditors.

The final report contains graphic visualisations of the data, which illustrate how compliant your company is with the EU Taxonomy. This can then be further disseminated, distributed, and customised to all stakeholders. For example, via our online ecosystem, you can send the report directly to asset managers and credit institutions that have an interest in investing in or loaning capital to your company.

The Greenomy portal is simple, cost-effective, and efficient, and removes the need to hire external ESG consultants. The tool offers direct access to EU Taxonomy definitions, requirements, and thresholds throughout each step of the technical screening and reporting process. Plus, we have built-in resources & human expertise on our chat feature, meaning that any queries you may have can be resolved instantly.

So what are you waiting for? Fulfil your sustainable finance reporting requirements today by booking a demo with one of our dedicated experts, and take your first step towards improving both your company and the planet.