Good morning.
The industry has been left unimpressed by the government’s latest attempt to create a path to net zero, dubbed “Green Day”. The BPF said the publication of 3,000 pages and more than 40 documents was “another statement of intent when what we need is urgent action”. It has called for “bolder and more ambitious policies”.
Meanwhile, Europe could ditch the ESG label for funds after asset managers including BNP Paribas and BlackRock complained that EU classifications were “unworkable”.
In other news, mobile gaming company Tripledot has signed a 10-year lease at Lazari’s Lantern office development in Euston.
Business confidence has risen to its highest level in 10 months, according to a Lloyds Bank survey. Optimism over the economy has doubled, but is still just 23%.
Incidentally, Lloyds has just announced it is closing a further 39 bank branches. NatWest will shut a further 42 and Barclays 14.
London’s Riverside Studios theatre complex is entering administration, citing “eye-watering” energy bills and the debt incurred by its recent redevelopment.
The Guardian takes a look at what the Help to Buy scheme actually achieved, besides a £1.8bn profit for the Treasury.
Meanwhile, EG heard from experts at MIPIM, including the chair of the Government Property Agency, about the key ingredients needed to forge successful partnerships between the public and private sectors.
And finally, former president and real estate tycoon Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury, meaning he will be the first US president to be charged with a crime. He is being charged with over 30 counts of business fraud, sparked by his alleged payment of $130,000 of hush money to the porn star Stormy Daniels. But not over alleged fraud in his property empire. That is still to come.
