Environmental Finance's Green Bond Awards have gone from strength to strength with the number of categories expanding to reflect the growth in the market.
There are a total of 25 awards this year, compared to the 15 that were up for grabs last year, as the number of awards expands in order for the awards to reflect all the different parts of this young and vibrant market.
The winners were decided by a panel of judges made up of some of the biggest green bond investors in the world.
This year the awards, which cover 2016, aim to recognise best practice, or issues that were significant in the development of the market, and are the most hotly contested in the green bond space.
Winners will be announce in three waves, on the on 7, 10 and 11 April. [See Box]
Winners announced in the first batch include Obvion, which won best asset-based bond for its landmark green residential mortgage-backed security. They are joined by Poland, which pipped France and Nigeria to issue the world's first sovereign green bond.
Other notable winners include Starbucks and Apple, two major US corporations, that won Bond of the Year – social and sustainability and corporate, respectively.
Dutch banks have also take the top spot for the second year running as the best bank issuer of green bonds, this time with green bond market stalwart Rabobank taking the gong.
The green bond market continues to grow, evolve, innovate and allocate capital to green projects. Environmental Finance is committed to support the market and help it scale up in a sustainable way that allows it to meet its enormous potential.
Congratulations to all of 2016's winners. It's been a great start to the year for the green bond market – the crop of candidates for 2017 is already looking formidable.
Click here to read about all the announced winners