Green bonds revived due to crucial Covid-19 recovery role

Ethical finance sees surge in popularity

A revival in green bonds has pushed the number of issuers above 1,000 for the first time ever, suggesting companies and governments are paying more than just lip service to sustainable finance.

The fallout from the coronavirus pandemic caused a steep drop in money raised via green debt, with just $7bn issued in February as global fears about Covid-19 began to escalate. But as lockdown measures persist across the globe, companies are clearly reimagining every facet of their business model - including how they fund themselves. Standard Ethics launches bond rating using ESG assessment across conventional bonds This can be seen in the recovery in green bond issuance this year, with $26bn raised in just the first half of September. Importantly, $130bn of green bonds wer...