green bonds

Interest in the energy transition purpose of a €1.25bn 10 year debut green covered bond helped France’s BPCE achieve the biggest book on a euro benchmark covered bond since 2013 on Tuesday, according to an official at the issuer, allowing it to achieve “more normalised” pricing amid the crisis-hit market backdrop.

In June 2019, PKO Bank Hipoteczny issued the first green covered bond from central and eastern Europe, and has since followed up with a second deal as well as the launch of an energy efficient residential mortgage offer. Five years on from its creation, CEO Paulina Strugała tells Sustainabonds about the latest developments related to its green covered bond activity.

Berlin Hyp has opened up its green bond issuance to private placements ahead of the fifth anniversary of the launch of its pioneering green Pfandbrief today (Monday), with the German issuer having hit one year ahead of schedule a target of 20% of its lending being green by the end of 2020.

Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) issued the first green senior non-preferred sterling benchmark on 22 January, a £500m five year deal in which a maturing ESG UK investor base considered both LBBW’s green bond and issuer credentials, according to those involved in the deal.

NordLB Luxembourg Covered Bond Bank (NordLB CBB) attracted both ESG-focused and regular covered bond buyers to the first ever renewable energy covered bond last week, a €300m five year legislative deal that, the issuer told Sustainabonds, came surprisingly tight to its traditional issuance.

The broader sustainability strategies of green and social bond issuers and the impact of their issuance across a range of metrics are increasingly being focused on. Meanwhile, new varieties of sustainable bonds could yield benefits, but complicate the picture. Sustainabonds gathered leading public sector issuers and ESG-focused investors for a roundtable, hosted by SFIL, to discuss key developments.

November saw the inauguration of the SFIL green bond framework, with a covered bond from Caffil, as well as one of the sustainable projects it is helping finance. The group’s Philippe Mills and Sami Gotrane explain how green and social bond issuance reflect its public policy goals.

NordLB Luxembourg Covered Bond Bank is set to launch the first renewable energy covered bond in the coming fortnight, a €300m five year, and the issuer told Sustainabonds it is confident the uniquely green legislative product will prove a timely addition to the market.