The year 2019 was a record breaker for sustainable finance issuance, with $269.5bn-worth of bonds sold that met the International Capital Market Association’s green, social or sustainability bond principles, according to Dealogic data. Last year was the first time that the $200bn mark had been reached, with a 51% increase in sustainable finance bond issuance compared with the $178.8bn raised in 2018. In particular, the second and fourth quarters were both record breakers, with $77bn and $77.05bn raised, respectively.
Green bonds (bonds that support projects with environmental benefits) remain the most popular type of sustainable finance bond, with $205.1bn-worth of green bonds issued in 2019. A further $16.7bn-worth of social bonds (bonds that support positive social outcomes) were issued, and $47.6bn-worth of sustainability bonds (a hybrid of green and social bonds).
