2021 was the year the green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked (GSSS) bond market passed the $1 trillion issuance milestone.
According to figures from Environmental Finance Data, total GSSS bond issuance reached $1.03 trillion in 2021 – an increase of about 69% on the $606 billion total in 2020, and more than triple the $326 billion issued in 2019.
Corporate issuers increasingly made their presence felt among sustainable bond issuers, with their share of the total market jumping to 37%, up from just 26% in 2020, after total issuance more than doubled. This was supported by a rapidly expanding list of blue chip and high yield issuers joining the fray.
Meanwhile, sovereign issuance more than doubled as a flurry of maiden deals were delivered by the likes of European heavyweights UK, Italy, and Spain earlier in 2021 as well as Benin, Slovenia, Latvia, Peru and Colombia.
The growing diversification of issuance is evident from the diversity of contributors to Environmental Finance's Sustainable Bonds Insight 2022, with issuers, investors, lead managers, ESG service providers and stock exchanges providing their analysis of 2021 and predictions for what is ahead.
The free-to-download report features infographics and data on the main trends in the GSSS markets in 2021 and includes brand new chapters and infographics dedicated to these new directions for the market.
Click here to download Environmental Finance's Sustainable Bond Insight for free.