Energy efficiency is a key investment area for the shift to a low-carbon economy. A Technical Working Group has been convened to develop eligibility criteria for the certification of energy efficiency related bonds under the Climate Bonds Standard.
The first meeting, via teleconference, was held on 20 July 2012.
This Working Group is focusing on the built environment; a separate Working Group will be convened to look at industrial and manufacturing energy efficiency.
You're invited to join Nick Robins from HSBC and Sean Kidney from the Climate Bonds Initiative present a Webinar about the recent ClimateBonds/HSBC report on "Bonds and Climate Change: State of the Market 2012". The report shows that there are $174 bn of climate-themed bonds outstanding in seven different investments areas.
There are two Webinar time options you can choose from:
1. For EU, Asian & Australian audiences - Wed 11 July, 9.30am Paris / 1.00pm Delhi / 3.30pm Hong Kong / 4.30pm Seoul / 5.30pm Sydney
2. For North American & UK audiences - Thurs 12 July, 8.00am San Francisco / 11.00am New York / 4.00pm London (BST).
Time: 4pm-6pm, Tuesday 3 July 2012Venue: Shearman & Sterling, Broadgate West, 9 Appold Street, London, EC2A 2AP
JUCCCE (Joint US-China Collaboration for Clean Energy) chairperson and co-founder, Peggy Liu, is a renowned expert on China's renewables market. She was a Time Magazine Hero of the Environment in 2008, a WEF Young Global Leader in 2009, and a "top 25 innovative business leaders" of China Business News Weekly 2012.
> German wind company Windreich has placed another €5m of 5 year bonds, taking their issuance to €75m in total. The bond has an investment grade BBB+ rating - wind energy bond ratings are improving all the time! Interest rate is 6.5%. http://goo.gl/KcU5g
The climate-themed bond market is broader and deeper than expected
The Climate Bonds Initiative, in association with HSBC Climate Change Centre of Excellence, today launches a new report on the current size and future prospects for climate-themed bonds.
The Report gives a snapshot of the climate-themed bond markets’ size, the key investments themes and regional market, and finally identifies three key ways to accelerate market expansion.
> At NYC Environmental Conference this week Citibank director of structured finance Stuart Murray said: "The Climate Bonds market is ready to explode." He added: "The demand for climate bonds among investors we talk to is robust ... the issue is just that we’re not seeing that many bonds coming to market." Come on originators!
Media release below | Read the Executive Summary | DOWNLOAD FULL PAPER NOW
Renewable Energy Covered Bonds - how to adapt the covered bond market to bring capital into the low-carbon economy
Climate Bonds Initiative suggests covered bonds as a means to get bank lending flowing again
CDC Climate has published a useful paper on green bonds. They suggest that at a time when bank lending is squeezed, green bonds offer an alternative financing for initiatives with an environmental goal.
Across Europe and a number of other regions bank recapitalisation pressures have led to a reduction in business and project lending - and thus reduced renewable energy lending.
This is a problem because the bulk of project finance (95% globally) comes from bank lending.
The development of a market for securitized renewable energy and energy efficiency assets and loans, allowing banks to quickly recycle limited loan capital, is going to be vital to ensuring banks deliver the project finance needed as we “green” energy systems.
This guest report by guest contributor Tadhg Molony explores the current state of the securitization market and its prospects going forward.
By guest blogger “Corporate Bonder”
Market Overview
Data compiled by the Bank for International Settlements[1] indicate that the total size of the global debt securities market (domestic and international[2]) was $98.7 trillion as at September 2011, of which $89.9 trillion were notes and bonds. Governments accounted for $44.6 trillion of outstanding debt securities, financial organizations $41.9 trillion, corporations $11.2 trillion and international organizations $1.0 trillion.
