Some of the outstanding issues in the green bond market have been recognised in Environmental Finance's inaugural Green Bond Awards.
The awards have sprung up from Environmental Finance's Deals of the Year awards after the Environmental Bond of the Year category received a deluge of responses.
The awards, which cover 2015, aim to recognise best practice or issues that were significant in the development of the market.
Winners were today announced in the following categories:
- Bond of the Year – Corporate was won by TenneT for a €1 billion ($1.2 billion) issue that investors praised as being clearly green and transparent.
- Bond of the Year – SSA was won by Nafin after it became the first Mexican issuer to tap the market.
- Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority's $944 million issue scooped Bond of the Year – Municipal after it helped to lead the way in the US market by seeking a second-opinion and annual assurance.
- ING's $1.3 billion deal won Bond of the Year – Bank. Investors said it was hugely oversubscribed because it ticked all the boxes.
- Bond of the Year – Project Bond was won by WindMW to help refinance the Meerwind 288MW offshore wind project.
- Bond of the Year - Asset-based was won by Berlin Hyp for a deal that was notable because it helped to change the behaviour of the issuer.
Over the next two days, winners of the following categories will be announced:
- Market initiative of the Year
- Special award for innovation (structure)
- Special award for innovation (use of proceeds)
- Biggest issuer - Corporate bank
- Biggest issuer - SSA
- Biggest issuer - Municipal
- Biggest issuer - Corporate
- Personality of the Year
- Biggest underwriter.