Archive

  • Green Bond Comment, August 2021: A new dawn for the beleaguered transition bond label?

    04 August 2021

    Once seen as the next exciting frontier in sustainable fixed income, the take-up of transition bonds has so far underwhelmed the market. But could the beleaguered label stage a fight back, asks Ahren Lester

  • HSBC, IFC 'real economy' emerging market green bond fund raises $538m

    18 March 2021

    A green bond fund launched by HSBC Global Asset Management and the International Finance Corporation targeting 'real economy' issuers in emerging markets has raised more than $530 million from ten investors at its final close.

  • Defining transition finance: how to be inclusive yet specific

    28 September 2020

    Transition finance has garnered a lot of attention, but the challenge of delineating what exactly it is remains unresolved. Three recent reports try to balance the need for the definition to be both broad enough to be inclusive, yet specific enough to protect the instruments from claims of greenwashing. Ahren Lester reports.

  • Basic definition essential for transition bond issuance, says ISS ESG

    25 September 2020

    The market does not have to 'reinvent the wheel' on the structure of transition bonds to support future issuers, ISS ESG tells Ahren Lester, but a clear definition of what activities demonstrate 'transition' is essential for this potentially large market to grow

  • ISS ESG launches transition bond second party opinion service

    05 August 2020

    ISS ESG has updated its second party opinion (SPO) methodology to support issuers of transition bonds ahead of guidance being published later in 2020.

  • Snam issues maiden €500m 'transition' bond after 'climate action' criticism

    12 June 2020

    Italian energy infrastructure firm Snam has raised €500 million ($567 million) through its inaugural 'transition bond' to finance or refinance energy transition projects, just over a year after its 'climate action bond' attracted controversy.

  • Green bond comment September: Are stringent standards a good thing?

    04 September 2019

    Heads were turned when it was recently revealed that just 17% of the market value of bonds contained in the Bloomberg Barclays MSCI Green Bond Index would meet the proposed EU Taxonomy criteria – and thus be eligible to be verified in line with the EU Green Bond Standard (GBS).

  • Meat, fish and dairy producers not addressing sustainability risks, says FAIRR

    04 September 2019

    The vast majority of meat, fish and dairy producers have not meaningfully addressed basic sustainability risks, according to a report by investor network FAIRR.

  • BAML reveals thoughts on transition bonds

    26 August 2019

    Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML) has weighed in on the debate about the creation of a new market for transition bonds, suggesting that at least a quarter of the proceeds of bonds bearing this label should be used to finance green assets or projects.

  • Green bond comment: August 2019 - Should a beef producer issue a sustainability bond?

    08 August 2019

    A 'sustainable transition bond' issued by a Brazilian beef giant stuck in the craw of many sustainable investors. Peter Cripps ruminates on the issue