Ahren Lester

Articles by Ahren Lester

  • 'Reasonable' greenium for landmark Japan transition bond

    15 February 2024

    Japan's ground-breaking climate transition bond (CTB) secured a "reasonable" greenium, and it is preparing to return to the market at the end of March with a two-year bond to complement the existing five-year deal.

  • 'Milestone' Japanese transition bond three-times oversubscribed

    14 February 2024

    Japan has raised JPY800 billion ($5.3 billion) from its debut 'climate transition' bond (CTB), with the ground-breaking deal almost three-times oversubscribed.

  • Domestic Chinese sustainability-linked bond market 'lacking credibility'

    14 February 2024

    Chinese onshore sustainability-linked bond (SLB) issuance fell in 2023 after a record 2022 as issuers were "less incentivised" to offer material and credible structures for investors, according to Sustainable Fitch.

  • Green bond investors eschew EDF 'nuclear' green bond

    14 February 2024

    Dedicated green bond investors largely avoided the ground-breaking 'nuclear' green bond from French energy firm EDF, according to Barclays - but there was "good demand" from sustainable investors more widely.

  • Snam steps away from transition bonds with green, SLB deal

    13 February 2024

    Snam has raised €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) from a dual-tranche green and sustainability-linked bond, as the Italian energy infrastructure firm stepped back from the 'transition' bond label it helped pioneer.

  • Fitch: Real estate slump sinks offshore Chinese sustainable bond market

    13 February 2024

    Offshore Chinese sustainable bond issuance slumped a third in 2023 as issuance from the country's ailing property sector contracted significantly, according to Sustainable Fitch - but onshore issuance continued to grow.

  • Snam secures inaugural Moody's net-zero plan score

    12 February 2024

    Snam has been awarded the inaugural Moody's 'Net Zero Assessment' (NZA) score, with the Italian energy infrastructure firm praised for its "clear" Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction plan but was warned of challenging Scope 3 "hurdles".

  • Barclays: Investors expect more sovereign SLB issuers in 2024

    12 February 2024

    A majority of investors are expecting new sovereigns to issue sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) in 2024, according to a Barclays survey - despite reservations about the performance-based instrument.

  • $4trn outstanding sustainable bond milestone crossed

    09 February 2024

    The sustainable bond market has crossed the $4 trillion outstanding issuance milestone, according to Environmental Finance Data - but a maturing market could slow progress towards the next trillion.

  • World Bank: Expect 'more and bigger' outcomes-based bonds

    09 February 2024

    Following the Bank's recent plastic waste reduction bond, Michael Bennett tells Ahren Lester that its ambitions are growing