Ahren Lester

BRD secures first sustainability-linked risk transfer deal with IFC

New Zealand looks to remove barriers for sustainable bond issuance

A New Zealand regulator is exploring how to "remove potential barriers" for listed companies to issue sustainable bonds, in particular by reducing additional disclosures and costs for issuers.

Issuers worry capex-focused sustainability-linked bonds could 'backfire'

Carbon-intensive issuers are interested in tying sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) to their 'green' capital expenditure (capex) plans, but are concerned that investors will begin to view these 'double' impact bonds as the only way they can access the market.

Saudi Arabian green finance framework an 'important but controversial step'

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has published its green financing framework, opening the door to major oil exporter issuing sovereign green bonds and sukuk.

Saint-Gobain: EU Taxonomy 'opened green bonds for us'

French construction materials firm Saint-Gobain switched from sustainability-linked bonds to green bonds for its latest sustainable bond deal, after EU Taxonomy-aligned disclosures helped it identify eligible activities.

ASEAN Taxonomy extended to transport, construction and real estate

An update to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance has seen the ground-breaking 'green' list extended to cover the transport and construction and real estate sectors.

ESMA launches EU green bond external reviewer consultation

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) launched a consultation on the draft technical standards it plans to use for the registration and supervision of external reviewers of bonds issued in line with the EU Green Bond Standard (EU GBS).

Philippines power firm EDC readies PHP10bn green bond

'US IRA has worked where taxonomies have not'

A senior banker has argued that the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) economic incentive package has delivered real climate-focused financial flows in a way that 'green' taxonomy-focused approaches have not.

EU work on SLB regulation may come too late, says IEEFA

European Commission work on regulating sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) may come too late to help reach 2030 climate goals, according to a think tank.