Global Experts To Discuss The Future Of The Green Bond And Sukuk Sector At The GEFF

The Green bond and sukuk sector grew by 50% compound annual growth rate according to the Climate Bonds Initiative

Dubai: The Global Ethical Finance Forum (GEFF) to be held in Edinburgh on the 1^st and 2^nd of September will feature the first global conversation of experts on the nascent yet rapidly growing green bond and sukuk sector and how corporations can benefit from this marketplace.

The green bond and sukuk market has witnessed exponential growth and dynamism over the past few years, in large part due to the pivotal role of organisations such as the World Bank, European Investment Bank (EIB) and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) among others. According to the Climate Bonds Initiative, Green bonds ‘fund projects that have positive environmental and/or climate benefits. The majority of the green bonds issued are green “use of proceeds” or asset-linked bonds.’

Green bond issuances have risen from $36.6bn at the end of 2013 to $53.2bn by the end of 2014 issued by 73 different issuers. Among the world’s biggest issuers are the World Bank and theEuropean Investment Bank (EIB) . The World Bank, one of the originators of green bonds, issued $3.1 billion in 2014. These bonds were met with robust demand multiples by investors as they provide positive returns while keeping environmental factors in consideration.

Despite the phenomenal increase in green bond sales, commonly agreed standards on what constitutes a green bond, as well as transparency over how proceeds are used, are still in debate and constitute a hurdle for green bonds going mainstream. This subject will be the one of the many areas to be covered at the Global Ethical Finance Forum, this September in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

The Islamic finance industry has also show keen interest in the closely aligned socially responsible investment sector when it supported the issuance of the popular issuance of the 500 million dollar International Finance Facility for Immunization (IFFIM) sukuk and the 100 million ringgit SRI sukuk to fund schools by Khazanah Nasional, the sovereign investment fund for Malaysia.

The forum will include a panel headed by Usman Hayat, Director of Islamic Finance and ESG, CFA Institute who will lead a discussion with experts in the industry such as Michael Bennett, Head, Derivatives and Structured Finance, World Bank; Nathalie de WEERT, Senior Capital Market Officer, Euro Capital Markets, European Investment Bank; Datuk Dr. Mohammed Daud Bakar, Founder and Group Chairman, Amanie Advisors; Marco Lichtfous, Partner – Advisory & Consulting, Deloitte; and Richard de Belder, Partner, Dentons.

 The session will feature discussions on the size of the addressable market and the potential growth of green bond issuances particularly in emerging markets, promoting the development of international standards for the green bonds market and finding the right interpretations of what constitutes a green bond and sukuk. GEFF will take place on the 1st and 2nd of September at the historic Balmoral Hotel in downtown Edinburgh, one of Europe’s cultural & literary capitals.

Originally published on www.zawya.com