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We are looking for an energetic Program officer to join our Central London team to coordinate the rapid development of the Climate Bond Standard and Certification Scheme.

The role will involve working with investments banks and potential climate bonds issuers on Climate Bond certifications, consulting with other stakeholders, improving and streamlining>verification processes, training for verifiers, as well as communications of all sorts.

By Ulf Erlandsson, Senior Portfolio Manager Credit, Global Macro Trading, Fjärde AP-fonden/ Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund and Sean Kidney, CEO Climate Bonds Initiative.

Originally published in Institutional Investor 29.12.2014

Before diving into the latest green bond offerings let’s not forget that green bonds were created because “no challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change” (thanks to President Obama for the eloquent statement). Shifting capital to climate investments through green bonds is one way of addressing the challenge.

Today, I’ve been speaking at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi about the potential for green sukuk. A few years ago, if I had said “energy investment” and “the Middle East” in the same sentence, your thoughts would probably spin to oil and gas rather than solar and wind. But there are now some huge renewable energy developments and plans around.

EY (formerly known as Ernst & Young), one of the world’s largest audit firms and the third largest professional services firm in the world (by revenue), has been confirmed by the Climate Bond Standards Board as an approved Climate Bond Standards verifier. EY has 700 offices in over 150 countries.