Green

Commerzbank attracted as much as EUR1.25bn of orders from over 100 investors to its first green bond yesterday (Tuesday), a EUR500m five year senior non-preferred benchmark with proceeds earmarked for renewable energy financing.

Berlin Hyp achieved its highest ever foreign distribution with a EUR500m seven year green Pfandbrief on Friday, after having waited out an “awful” market on Thursday to then attract EUR950m of orders at a level reflecting the “new world”, according to Bodo Winkler, its head of funding and investor relations.

DZ Bank sold its first green bond on 25 September, a EUR250m five year deal with proceeds earmarked for German onshore windfarms that marked a rare appearance in the public markets for the German issuer in senior format, and which is the first green bond from a bank to have an S&P Green Evaluation.

Support is being sought from the European Commission for a “market activation framework” to take the Energy Efficient Mortgages Initiative into its next stage, an EMF-ECBC official told an ECBC plenary, which also heard positive noises, with caveats, on sustainable finance from the German Ministry of Finance and BaFin.

Deutsche Hypo sold a EUR500m green Pfandbrief issue last Monday, its second such benchmark, and officials at the issuer described the deal’s “dynamic” book as being a positive statement of green investor’s trust.

Rabobank has launched a EUR5bn “ESG Leader” commercial paper and certificates of deposit programme that it can only issue off as long as it is ranked in the top 5% of companies by Sustainalytics, and an official at the Dutch issuer told Sustainabonds that the first sale already offered it a cost saving.

NordLB Luxembourg Covered Bond Bank is preparing to issue what it expects to be the first covered bond backed by renewable energy assets and launched under a dedicated law, with its debut likely in early 2019, according to officials at the issuer.

The green bond market could grow by as little as 13% this year, according to Moody’s, which has slashed its forecast after having previously anticipated a 60% rise in issuance. The rating agency nevertheless noted increases in sustainable and social bond issuance, and highlighted covered bonds’ potential.