Climate Bonds Standard

Managed by the Climate Bonds Initiative, the Label aims to limit temperature increases in line with the Paris Agreement by facilitating the recognition of certified "Green Bonds" with high quality standards that actually use their proceeds to combat global warming.

cbi

Generalities

Label Climate Bonds Standard
Nationality English - Europe
Management Label issued and managed by the Climate Bond Initiative, a project launched during COP15 in Copenhagen
Label type Topic Climate/environment
Website https://www.climatebonds.net/certification
Market World Label
Products 451 at the end of June 2022
Links to funds https://www.climatebonds.net/certification/certified-bonds
Criteria https://www.climatebonds.net/climate-bonds-standard-v3
Periodicity 12 months

Detailed data

Description In December 2010, the Climate Bonds Initiative launched the Climate Bond Standard and Certification Scheme to help both the investment community and governments favour fixed-income investments as solutions to climate change.
Genesis and development The Climate Bonds Initiative was formally launched in 2009 following COP15 in Copenhagen and started with only one registered staffer. In 2010 there is the development of the Climate Bond Standard and Certification Scheme followed by the first public version of the Climate Bond Standard launched in 2011.
Objectives The CBI's objectives are to provide guarantees to investors on the environmental integrity of climate bonds; to provide governments with a user-friendly tool to choose investments; and to foster growth in investor demand for climate-related investment opportunities.
Promoters and administrators The label was created by the Climate Bonds Initiative, launched in 2009 following COP15 in Copenhagen by the International Network for Sustainable Financial Markets with the aim of promoting the use of long-term debt to finance a rapid global transition to a low-carbon economy. The Climate Bonds Initiative also operates as a stand-alone project supported by the Carbon Disclosure Project.
SRI approach To obtain the label, products must meet 100% of the eligibility criteria for the product sector.
Mandatory criteria The mandatory criteria for obtaining certification are called "sectoral" criteria and specify which assets and infrastructure can be financed with instruments that have received Climate Bonds certification. The criteria are derived from the Climate Bonds Taxonomy and have been developed for the sectors of wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, marine renewable energy, low-carbon buildings, low-carbon transport, water infrastructure, forests, bioenergy, hydropower, waste management and natural water resources.
Additional criteria There are no additional criteria.
Allocation process The certification process requires 4 steps: a bond information form, the application and certification agreement, the applicant's selection of an external auditor, chosen from the auditor's list, to certify that the projects and activities to be financed by the bond proceeds are eligible under the Climate Bond Standard and that the applicant has established internal processes and controls to manage the bond proceeds, and finally the applicant should create a Green Bond Framework that describes how the requirements of the Climate Bond Standard will be met by the issuer for the relevant bond.
External certification The applicant will be required to provide annual reports to the Climate Bond Secretariat throughout the life of the bond. When possible, these annual reports will be published on the website.
Focus on transparency The issuer of the Bond must follow internationally recognised guidelines/standards such as the Green Bond Principles to illustrate its commitment to transparency and disclosure of funded projects.
Focus on periodic checks For the annual reports, it will not be necessary to engage an auditor as the audit part has already been done and their purpose is only to provide confirmation that the bond still complies with the requirements of the Climate Bond Standard.
Related parties Climate Bond Initiative is an initiative of the International Network for Sustainable Financial Markets that operates as a stand-alone project supported by the Carbon Disclosure Project.
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