With the festive season upon us, UK retailers are preparing to hold their ground over the Christmas period. The legacy of inflation still lingers, with the impact of previous price spikes continuing to strain consumer confidence despite inflation rates returning to more stable levels this year.  Last month's Budget compounded these challenges, announcing larger-than-expected increases to the National Living Wage and National Insurance Contributions, bringing particularly difficult news for retail, a sector relying heavily on part-time and lower-income workers.   AlixPartners’ UK Retail...

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More than three years after the first transaction of our NextGenerationEU (NGEU) Green Bonds, the EU has issued more than €65 billion of NGEU Green Bonds, setting the EU on track to becoming the largest issuer of Green Bonds in the world. In line with the announcement of President von der Leyen in her State of the Union address of 2020, the European Commission will continue to work towards issuing 30% of the NextGenerationEU financing through Green Bonds. NGEU Green Bonds are...

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What is green finance, why is it needed and what are the challenges? There is no single definition of green finance in the UK. Instead, it describes financing which relates to, or benefits, the environment in some way. Typically, it is used in broadly two ways. Firstly, it can refer to financing that pays for goods or services that improve environmental outcomes. For example, financing an electric vehicle or solar panels on a house. Secondly, it can be financing where the financing...

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By Joseph Leocata | The IRS recently launched a new unit committed to enforcing U.S. tax laws among pass-through entities, such as S corporations, partnerships and trusts, whose income passes from the business to its owner’s individual tax returns where taxes are due at the owners’ marginal income tax rates. The move is part of the agency’s broader focus on expanding tax compliance among big businesses, complex partnerships and high-net-worth individuals with more than $400,000 in annual income. With...

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By Thomas Brown | In the world of M&A, certain transactions transcend financial calculus, reaching into the realm of legacy. For sellers whose primary concern is not just how much, but who, the M&A process becomes a distinct art of matchmaking. This is “placing the baby”—a phrase that captures both the responsibility and the deep-seated significance of entrusting a business’s future to the right people. In these deals, we’re not merely managing assets; we’re safeguarding something built with purpose...

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Key takeaways from the first round of Commissioner-designate hearings  The first round of confirmation hearings for the next College of Commissioners began on Tuesday (5 November). The hearings are part of the checks at the EU level to ensure transparency and accountability. During these hearings, MEPs aim to assess whether commissioners-designate are qualified enough to join the European Commission. After approving commissioners, the European Parliament then holds a plenary vote to approve or reject the Commission as a whole. The Commissioner-designate hearings of...

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U.S Customs and Border Protection has published its first Isotopic Testing Guidance document, which can be accessed on the CBP website using the following link – https://www.cbp.gov/document/publications/isotopic-testing-guide . The Guidance  explains CBP’s perception of the role of isotopic testing in supply chain traceability and sets out recommended isotopic testing standards. As explained in the Guidance, isotopic testing is a scientific method that identifies the atomic structure of naturally occurring materials, or a “fingerprint” of the material, affected by local environmental conditions....

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Multilateral development banks (MDBs) today issued a joint statement at COP29 in Baku outlining financial support and other measures for countries to achieve ambitious climate outcomes. MDBs estimate that by 2030, their annual collective climate financing for low- and middle-income countries will reach USD 120 billion, including USD 42 billion for adaptation, and MDBs aim to mobilize USD 65 billion from the private sector. For high-income countries, this annual collective climate financing is projected to reach USD 50 billion, including USD 7 billion...

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