COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF
Hammerson launches real estate sustainability
Mall operator Hammerson launched a real estate sustainability-linked bond of 700 million euros (US$853.30 million) and said it would use the proceeds to cut debt.
The offering follows Hammerson's exit from the UK retail parks sector with a US$459 million assets sale to Brookfield last month after reporting a 1.7-billion-pound loss for 2020. It had also issued a longer-term debt warning.
Last week, British shopping centres returned to full operations after months of lockdowns and pandemic-related curbs knocked the value of malls amid widespread retail rent deferrals and declines.
"The linking of the bond to our sustainability targets brings a stronger alignment between our financial and sustainability goals," Chief Financial Officer Himanshu Raja said in a statement.
Global green bond issuance reached a record high of US$270 billion at the end of 2020 and could reach US$450 billion this year, according to Climate Bonds Initiative. Hammerson has set the target to get net positive for carbon, water, resource use and social impacts by 2030.-Nampa/Reuters
BHP to take contingency measures
BHP Group Ltd said on Wednesday it would take contingency measures regarding operations in Chile after a labour union at its Escondida and Spence copper mines rejected the global mining firm's contract offer and called for a strike.
The union, representing 205 workers who run BHP's Integrated Operations Centre, which remotely manages pits and cathode and concentrator plants from Santiago, has called on members to walk off the job.
The Escondida and Spence mines have given notice "they will adopt contingency measures within the framework established by law," BHP said in a statement, adding that workers who were not part of the union and contractors would keep working.
The impact of the strike on BHP's operations in Chile was not immediately clear, as the negotiations between the remote operations union and the firm are the first of their kind. Escondida is the world's largest copper mine and Chile is the world's top producer of the red metal.
The strike comes as global copper prices hover near record highs and amid rising political risk in the region, with potentially big political shifts under way in both No. 1 copper producer Chile and neighbouring Peru, the No. 2 producer. - Nampa/Reuters
Mali reversed decision on B2Gold permit
Mali's prime minister had reversed a decision to grant an exploration permit previously held by Canadian miner B2Gold to a little-known Malian company before he was arrested in a military takeover on Monday, a decree showed.
The West African country's interim president and prime minister resigned on Wednesday after their arrest, deepening a political crisis and drawing condemnation from international powers.
The prime minister's decision, if it is upheld, could give B2Gold another opportunity to renew the permit, avoiding a potential clash with government at a time of heightened political risk in the country.
In the decree, dated May 21, the now-ousted Prime Minister Moctar Ouane ordered the cancellation of a March 24 decision to give the Menankoto exploration permit to Malian company Little Big Mining SARL, without detailing the reasons behind the annulment.
The government had previously denied B2Gold's application for an extension of the Menankoto exploration permit it had obtained through a 2014 acquisition. B2Gold contested the decision. - Nampa/Reuters
Shell to deepen carbon emissions cuts
A Dutch court on Wednesday ordered Royal Dutch Shell to significantly deepen its planned greenhouse gas emission cuts, in a ruling that could pave the way for legal action against energy firms around the world.
At a court room in The Hague, judge Larisa Alwin read out a ruling which ordered Shell to reduce its planet warming carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels.
Shell currently has a target to reduce the carbon intensity of its products by at least 6% by 2023, by 20% by 2030, by 45% by 2035 and by 100% by 2050 compared with 2016.
The lawsuit, which was filed by seven groups including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth Netherlands, marks a first in which environmentalists have turned to the courts to try to force a major energy firm to change strategy.
It was filed in April 2019 on behalf of more than 17 000 Dutch citizens who say Shell is threatening human rights as it continues to invest billions in the production of fossil fuels. - Nampa/Reuters
Sony to spend trillions on investments
Sony Group said on Wednesday it will spend 2 trillion yen (US$18.39 billion) over the next three years on strategic investments, including a push to expand subscribers to its gaming and entertainment services.
Sony said in a statement it would accelerate investments in mobile and online services with the aim of expanding the number of consumers directly connected to its services to 1 billion people from 160 million.
As it streamlines its consumer electronic business, Sony is focusing more on movies, games and other content it sells through platforms such as its PlayStation games console.
The company is benefiting from strong demand for its PlayStation 5 launched in core markets in November. A global shortage of chips, however, means Sony is unable to keep up with demand for the games console, which it wants to use to encourage online game downloads and sign-ups for subscription services.
In the business year that started April 1, Sony aims to ship 14.8 million PlayStation 5 consoles. -Nampa/Reuters
Mall operator Hammerson launched a real estate sustainability-linked bond of 700 million euros (US$853.30 million) and said it would use the proceeds to cut debt.
The offering follows Hammerson's exit from the UK retail parks sector with a US$459 million assets sale to Brookfield last month after reporting a 1.7-billion-pound loss for 2020. It had also issued a longer-term debt warning.
Last week, British shopping centres returned to full operations after months of lockdowns and pandemic-related curbs knocked the value of malls amid widespread retail rent deferrals and declines.
"The linking of the bond to our sustainability targets brings a stronger alignment between our financial and sustainability goals," Chief Financial Officer Himanshu Raja said in a statement.
Global green bond issuance reached a record high of US$270 billion at the end of 2020 and could reach US$450 billion this year, according to Climate Bonds Initiative. Hammerson has set the target to get net positive for carbon, water, resource use and social impacts by 2030.-Nampa/Reuters
BHP to take contingency measures
BHP Group Ltd said on Wednesday it would take contingency measures regarding operations in Chile after a labour union at its Escondida and Spence copper mines rejected the global mining firm's contract offer and called for a strike.
The union, representing 205 workers who run BHP's Integrated Operations Centre, which remotely manages pits and cathode and concentrator plants from Santiago, has called on members to walk off the job.
The Escondida and Spence mines have given notice "they will adopt contingency measures within the framework established by law," BHP said in a statement, adding that workers who were not part of the union and contractors would keep working.
The impact of the strike on BHP's operations in Chile was not immediately clear, as the negotiations between the remote operations union and the firm are the first of their kind. Escondida is the world's largest copper mine and Chile is the world's top producer of the red metal.
The strike comes as global copper prices hover near record highs and amid rising political risk in the region, with potentially big political shifts under way in both No. 1 copper producer Chile and neighbouring Peru, the No. 2 producer. - Nampa/Reuters
Mali reversed decision on B2Gold permit
Mali's prime minister had reversed a decision to grant an exploration permit previously held by Canadian miner B2Gold to a little-known Malian company before he was arrested in a military takeover on Monday, a decree showed.
The West African country's interim president and prime minister resigned on Wednesday after their arrest, deepening a political crisis and drawing condemnation from international powers.
The prime minister's decision, if it is upheld, could give B2Gold another opportunity to renew the permit, avoiding a potential clash with government at a time of heightened political risk in the country.
In the decree, dated May 21, the now-ousted Prime Minister Moctar Ouane ordered the cancellation of a March 24 decision to give the Menankoto exploration permit to Malian company Little Big Mining SARL, without detailing the reasons behind the annulment.
The government had previously denied B2Gold's application for an extension of the Menankoto exploration permit it had obtained through a 2014 acquisition. B2Gold contested the decision. - Nampa/Reuters
Shell to deepen carbon emissions cuts
A Dutch court on Wednesday ordered Royal Dutch Shell to significantly deepen its planned greenhouse gas emission cuts, in a ruling that could pave the way for legal action against energy firms around the world.
At a court room in The Hague, judge Larisa Alwin read out a ruling which ordered Shell to reduce its planet warming carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels.
Shell currently has a target to reduce the carbon intensity of its products by at least 6% by 2023, by 20% by 2030, by 45% by 2035 and by 100% by 2050 compared with 2016.
The lawsuit, which was filed by seven groups including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth Netherlands, marks a first in which environmentalists have turned to the courts to try to force a major energy firm to change strategy.
It was filed in April 2019 on behalf of more than 17 000 Dutch citizens who say Shell is threatening human rights as it continues to invest billions in the production of fossil fuels. - Nampa/Reuters
Sony to spend trillions on investments
Sony Group said on Wednesday it will spend 2 trillion yen (US$18.39 billion) over the next three years on strategic investments, including a push to expand subscribers to its gaming and entertainment services.
Sony said in a statement it would accelerate investments in mobile and online services with the aim of expanding the number of consumers directly connected to its services to 1 billion people from 160 million.
As it streamlines its consumer electronic business, Sony is focusing more on movies, games and other content it sells through platforms such as its PlayStation games console.
The company is benefiting from strong demand for its PlayStation 5 launched in core markets in November. A global shortage of chips, however, means Sony is unable to keep up with demand for the games console, which it wants to use to encourage online game downloads and sign-ups for subscription services.
In the business year that started April 1, Sony aims to ship 14.8 million PlayStation 5 consoles. -Nampa/Reuters
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