Christopher Flensborg November, 2009 THE WORLD BANK GREEN BOND capital markets enter climate investments 1
OVERVIEW Why we have Pension funds investing in Green Bonds Investor requirements and demands Investor mandates How The World Bank and SEB have meet investor requirements How can the Green Bond help your company Perception The Green Bond used as a reference First annual letter
Why we have Pension funds investing in Green Bonds To get a diversification in their climate investments and thereby a more stabile return Normal distribution between equity and bonds As a consequence of the ESG factor in their investment policies shareholder voting To address climate concerns in developing regions in a coordinated and structured way without taking credit risk Through the World Bank To support the development of markets which address current environmental concerns within mainstream portfolio framework economics can not be jeopardized Low ability to take on monitoring and due diligence responsibilities
What is the mandate of the previous buyers AP Fund mandate by Parliament The approach of the AP funds to corporate governance is based on promoting the objective of securing high investment returns. Legislation requires that the funds take no account of business or economic policy considerations in their investment decisions. Environmental aspects of investment decisions (LF annual report 2008) In 2008, Länsförsäkringar Liv invested SEK 1 billion in the World Bank s (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD) green bond. The bond has a credit rating of AAA and is guaranteed by the IBRD. The bond yields a slightly higher return than a Swedish government bond. The proceeds earned from this issue are to be used to invest in technology that reduces emissions of carbon dioxide in developing countries. For Länsförsäkringar, this investment is a way of generating higher returns while supporting the environment.
How The World Bank and SEB have meet investor requirements Low maintenance Outsourcing of administration to The World Bank Screening Monitoring Reporting Certainty on climate part Screening Cicero (2nd opinion) Reporting Comparability to existing investments Plain vanilla issue under known issuance program The World Bank credit is valued as a Government substitution by our clients Capital structure (no leverage) Liquidity management Lending history
How can the Green Bond help your company To clarify policies and objectives and compare experience in respect to ESG/SRI approach Discussion with The World Bank to learn: The World Bank set-up The climate challenge seen from the World Banks view The Screening process The World Bank s priorities The Specific investor s question s To be pro-active in respect to climate investment in developing regions without increasing your infra-structure to handle due-diligence questions
Norway fund to kick off huge green investment with 500m euro in listed equities and bonds Norway s NOK2,385bn ( 280bn) Government Pension Fund will kick off one of the world s biggest cash injections into green investments by buying almost 500m of listed equities and bonds in environmental companies during 2010. The investments are the first steps in a programme announced in April to put NOK20bn into environmental companies over a five-year period. The fund will also begin working on climate issues alongside Sir Nicholas Stern, the author of an influential UK government report on the cost of global warming. Stern s Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics has been chosen by consulting firm Mercer to work on a joint project with the Norwegian fund looking at how global warming impacts capital markets and pension fund investors. The Norwegian Finance Ministry announced the details of the 2010 investment plans in its national budget this week. It said: The Ministry is planning that approximately NOK4bn ( 481m) be invested on the basis of environmental criteria in 2010. It is natural that these kinds of investments initially be made in already permitted instruments and markets, such as listed equities and bonds. Also being discussed are the establishment of external environmental mandates for unlisted investments and the possibility of investing in green infrastructure projects such as wind farms and eco-friendly start-ups which are outside the fund s current investment universe. In August, the Ministry asked Norges Bank, which runs the pension fund s assets, to examine investing in environmental bonds issued by the World Bank and various environmental stock market indices. In addition NBIM was asked to assess the possibility of establishing active management mandates with environmental criteria. The bank was also asked to look at unlisted investment opportunities and to consider whether an organisation can be established to carry out such investments and how it envisages a possible investment programme. Norges Bank replied to the ministry last month saying such investments could be made using its current systems for running the fund: If the Ministry establishes a mandate for environmental related investments within the current management framework for the Government Pension Fund Global, Norges Bank will be able to undertake this kind of management assignment. The budget report says the market for environment-friendly investments is most developed in equities, so that investments within the programme can be made in listed equities by overweighting companies with a good environmental profiles. This can be achieved by investing according to an index where the weight ascribed to the companies is affected by environmental criteria. It adds: Mandates can also be established for active management, where the Ministry asks Norges Bank as a manager to give priority to environmental criteria in the attempt to achieve excess returns compared with the rate of return of the benchmark index. It said wind farm-type investments may be made directly, but will often be organized through funds because of the riskier exposure and greater financial and operational risk.
Comments Issuer: President Robert Zoellick The World Bank Tackling climate change is going to take immense resources that will only come from a wellorchestrated flow of public and private finance. This transaction is an important early effort to show one way in which this can be done. Scientific society: Knut H. Alfsen, Research Director Center for International Climate and Environmental Research - CICERO Overall, we conclude that the criteria combined with the proposed governance structure from the World Bank, provides a sound basis for selecting climate friendly projects (The comment is a part of the 2nd opinion done by CICERO for SEB on the Green Bond SEB has paid the salary for hours spend to do the opinion at CICERO the opinion was a requirement from the initial investors) Investor: Bill Lockyer Californian State Treasurer "This is a landmark investment our first in global climate change solutions, said Lockyer. Buying these green bonds makes financial sense for California. It strengthens our portfolio s diversity while adding a sound investment with a triple-a rated issuer. And it tells the world that when it comes to battling climate change, California is prepared to contribute not just its policies, but its money, too. Media: Sophia Grene Financial Times - Ft.com/ftfmblog It s easy being green - with World Bank bonds Klas Eklund (Footing the bill for Climate Change Copenhagen 2009) Compared to private financial flows or even aid commitments, the amounts involved in the negotiations on official climate financing are actually very small.
Green Bank Act of 2009 Introduced in US House Washington, D.C., United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com] U.S. Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) this week introduced the Green Bank Act of 2009. If passed, the legislation would create the Green Bank as an independent, tax-exempt, wholly owned corporation of the United States. The Bank's mandate would be to provide a range of financing support to qualified renewable energy and energy efficiency projects within the territorial United States. The Green Bank Act of 2009 would provide the Green Bank with an initial capitalization of US $10 billion through the issuance of Green Bonds by the U.S. Department of Treasury, with a maximum authorized limit of $50 billion in Green Bonds outstanding at any one time.
The Prince's Rainforests Project 7. Rainforest Bonds' issued in private capital markets (initial recommendation) A fixed income security - a Rainforest Bond - could be issued in global private capital markets to raise upfront financing. Such bonds typically offer investors a fixed rate of return, normally an annual coupon, together with the repayment of the principal on maturity. Over US$400 billion of Sovereign, Supranational and Agency Bonds were issued in 2008 [3]. The Project has held discussions with pension funds and the insurance sector, which indicate that there would be significant demand for AAA-rated bonds with long-term maturities. Rainforest Bonds could be issued by the World Bank, or by an independent entity with support from the World Bank. The bonds would be guaranteed by developed country governments, which would be responsible for payment of the coupon and repayment of the principal. However, it may be possible to mitigate the financial calls on these governments, for example by channeling some of the money into green investments that would generate financial returns. Private sector bonds provide a way to raise large amounts of finance for tropical forests in the near-term, while allowing underwriting governments the time to generate revenues for repayment from clean development investments, domestic carbon permit auctions or other schemes. The Prince's Rainforests Project is working with the World Bank and institutional investors to develop this bond concept further.
World Bank and SEB partner with Scandinavian Institutional Investors to Finance Green Projects The World Bank today announced a partnership with SEB and several key Scandinavian institutional investors to introduce a World Bank green bond to raise funds for projects seeking to mitigate climate change or help affected people adapt to it. Stockholm, November 6 2008 The bond issue is one example of the kind of innovation the World Bank is trying to encourage within its Strategic Framework for Development and Climate Change, launched earlier this year to help stimulate and coordinate publicand private-sector activity in this area. The offering is the first time both the World Bank and SEB have offered bonds to raise funds identified to a specific World Bank program. "We are very pleased to partner with the World Bank for this green bond issue," said Annika Falkengren, President and CEO, SEB. With this issue we have been able to offer our clients a product through which they can accomplish three things: take a stand towards fighting global warming, support the World Bank and its members in their efforts to fight poverty, and secure a higher return than government securities by investing in the World Bank s Aaa/AAA-rated bonds. Tackling climate change is going to take immense resources that will only come from a well-orchestrated flow of public and private finance. This transaction is an important early effort to show one way in which this can be done. We hope it demonstrates that private citizens can safely and profitably invest their savings today while also helping provide a better world for their children, said Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank Group. The first World Bank green bonds are denominated in Swedish krona (SEK) for a total amount of SEK 2.325 billion and have a maturity of six years. The interest rate payable annually is 0.25 percent above Swedish government bond rates. SEB is the sole lead manager and will offer the bonds to investors through its distribution network. The bonds responded to demand from a group of Scandinavian investors. Credit Suisse International is a senior co-manager and Landesbank Baden-Württemberg is a co-manager for the transaction.