Asia’s fast-growing cities and developing countries face a significant challenge in raising financial resources to face the climate change challenge – and it’s clear that public funding and international concessional sources will not be enough. Green bonds are debt instruments placed in international financial markets that have captured public attention due to their unique features and the almost twofold volume jump in the past two years – so far in 2014, green bonds have mobilized US$30 billion (and counting).
But, what are the characteristics of issuers of green bonds and what determines their access to capital markets? What are the expectations of investors buying them so far? Assuming creditworthiness requirements are met, how do they compare to the traditional sources of financing for state agencies, state-owned enterprises, or local governments?
This Webinar intends to provide a basic understanding about green bonds and how they fit in the climate finance landscape. Background in finance and economics is desirable although not required as speakers will describe financial pre-conditions for potential new issuers of green bonds.
This Webinar is intended as an introduction to green bonds for anyone interested in climate finance and especially those looking to work with potential issuers to introduce them to the green bond market and help grow the market. We will look into the following questions:
- What are green bonds and what is driving the growth of this market?
- How can Green Bonds be relevant to Asian countries’ climate mitigation and resilience projects?
- What attracts institutional investors to green bonds?
- What are the benefits and steps involved in issuing a green bond for public sector issuers focused on "green” development?
All the presentations are available online, including:
- Green Bonds - by Heike Reichelt, Head of Ivestor Relations and New Products of World Bank Treasure
- Responsible Investment at Unisuper - by Talieh Williams, Manager of Governance and Sustainable investment at UniSuper
- Korea's Official Export Credit Agency:In pursuit of Green Growth - by Korea Eximbank