Free content

Sustainability is a term used liberally and vaguely in the financial world. But it has a precise meaning: living so that we do not make it harder for future generations to live. That principle is violated by today’s economy, including its financial markets. But little by little, the heart of markets — the decisions investors make — is facing up to what it has long repressed. Jon Hay reports.

Japan’s borrowers have been slow to board the SRI train. However, this is beginning to change, thanks to committed issuers such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Development Bank of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Several developments in the past year have the potential to move green finance up a gear, in its ability to actually bring about change in the real world. Jon Hay highlights four of them.

The much sought after trend for green bonds to outperform conventional paper in secondary trading is now a reality, according to public sector borrowers — but perhaps only for those with enough dots on their green curves to provide a comparison.

The enthusiasm in China for a greener economy — and green financing techniques — now embraces the far-reaching Belt and Road Initiative. Meanwhile, foreign investors are being invited into China’s bond market. But as Noah Sin reports, to unite Chinese and international green finance markets, China will have to close the gap between two views of what is green.

Latin America is one of the most promising fields, both for green economic investment, and for green financing. Powerful players in the region’s capital markets, such as national development banks, are supportive, and the range of issuers is spreading, from renewable energy into sectors such as paper, airports and banks. As Oliver West reports, there is good demand from international investors, but what could help even more is to build up the local market.

Asia’s green finance story is not just about China and India. Although the US has threatened to pull out of the Paris Agreement, southeast Asia has reiterated its commitment to sustainability. As Morgan Davis reports, that is beginning to be felt in its financial markets, where countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are exploring ways to foster green financing.

The votes are in on last week's solitary benchmark from the SSA sector. The BondMarker voters have delivered their verdict on Oesterreichische KontrollBank's €1.5bn September 2024 note.

KfW has sold Europe’s first blockchain-based bond, although a quirk of German law meant the transaction had to be replicated on paper. While the bond was instantly settled, those involved say a crucial component is missing if this technology is to become part of capital markets’ infrastructure: a cash settlement facility on a distributed ledger.

Suriname is South America’s smallest nation, with an area of just 163,820km2 and a population of just over 567,000. It is also its youngest: independence from the Netherlands was gained in November 1975.

Last Friday saw GlobalCapital launch our new twice-weekly email round-up of SRI and green finance news. Everywhere you turn in the bond markets, every bank or investor you speak to, it doesn’t take long before green bonds are mentioned.