The volume and type of sustainable debt instruments have expanded significantly since 2015. Starting with innovative green bonds in 2007, sustainable debt instruments now extend to various forms of “use of proceeds bonds” to also include social bonds, sustainability bonds, blue bonds, gender equity and SDG bonds. This segment has been further bolstered in recent years to include sustainability-linked bonds and notes. In fact, this combined market segment reached about $3.8 trillion in financing by the end of 2022. But even with annual issuance projected to reach about $1.0 trillion this year, volumes and targets still do not rise to levels required to meet environmental and social development goals.
The event will address the role that innovative financing solutions can play in addressing the world’s environmental and social development needs. Going beyond green, social and sustainable bonds, the focus will be on new bond structures that have already been introduced, such as various forms of securitization, debt for nature swaps, emission reduction linked bonds, or “outcome-based” bonds, to mention a few. At the same time, other designs, such as carbon-linked bonds and Climate Resilient Development Bonds, have been announced but these are still in the development phase.
Hosted by the Fixed Income Analysts Society (FIASI) together with the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business, the event will include a keynote address, followed by a series of case-study type discussions that drill down on innovative capital raising environment-directed financial structures, audience Q&A as well as a networking opportunity.