Asia’s appetite for green bonds is growing. In the Emerging Market Green Bonds Report, published in April 2021, the International Finance Corporation outlined how the east Asia and Pacific region has accounted for 76% of cumulative emerging market bond issuance since 2012. Between 2012 and 2020, seven countries in the region issued bonds, comprising 262 issuers and a volume of $172bn.
During 2020, China remained the biggest issuer of green bonds. However, its issuance of green bonds declined from more than $30bn in recent years to $18bn.