There are growing signs of a global reluctance to embrace environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles, with talk of greenhushing emerging in many pockets of the bond market. Yet, Japan’s top regulatory bodies and issuers are eager to embrace ESG and, in particular, to continue growing their transition bond market, seeing its potential for ushering in change and reaching net-zero commitments.

Japan’s sovereign, supranational and agency borrowers are among the most well regarded and highly rated in the international debt markets. Yet they are not immune to the volatility caused by the new US administration under president Donald Trump or the pressure from contrasting monetary policies implemented by different central banks. Timing deals well, being nimble and having diverse sources of funding are all expected to be critical in the year ahead.

◆ A new social bond issuer is born ◆ Agency opts for domestic currency for debut, keen to print again ◆ First Swedish SSA with a social use of proceeds bond

◆ 10 year 'surprise' reopens euro covered market ◆ Concession needed to seal the deal ◆ Trade lands through OATs

Development bank wants to encourage adoption by showing how new standard can integrate with existing green bond issuance

Swiss market resilient, but Trump test is set to be a roadblock

Only one of Canada's big five banks has yet to publicly support new defence bank initiative

Hyperscaler earnings could become a crucial date for issuance funding calendars

Cologix taps private ABS for latest trade

Chemical sector's growing uncompetitiveness a problem when it comes to attracting investment in the capital markets

Canada throwing full weight behind plan for new multilateral lender for defence funding

Second Canadian lender to declare official support for embryonic SSA issuer as government takes lead on establishing new entity

◆ Second ever bond for the issuer ◆ Deal marketed to both SSA and credit investors ◆ Offers potential for tightening on the back of southern European convergence trade

BSTDB has had a tricky time since Russia attacked Ukraine, both of which are shareholders

Commodities trader halves its stake for £132m after shares soar

◆ Deal follows NextEra’s euro hybrid debut last year ◆ Eight year tranche draws the larger book ◆ More Reverse Yankee issuance expected to follow

The familiar problem of inter-creditor opacity has also reappeared

'Hard to classify' Italian corporate trade being marketed to FIG and SSA accounts

Investors and bankers grapple with 24% fall in Bitcoin since deal was rated

Investment banking travel was a relentless grind, not gold card access to global glamour

Books were nearly three times the issue size

Eight banks provided loan facility to company

Vaccine bond programme to issue $1.5bn this year but needs new pledges

First deal of its kind more than 1.5 times subscribed