Celebrating 10 years of the Sustainable Bond Market
Today, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the London Stock Exchange’s Sustainable Bond Market (SBM). It all began in 2012, when the Nordic Investment Bank issued the first green bond in London. In 2015, we became the first major exchange to launch dedicated green bond segments - marking a significant milestone in the evolution of sustainable finance. Since then, the SBM has helped raise over $428 billion through 888 bonds issued by 176 issuers. International Finance Corporation was the first issuer to utilise our green bond segment issuing the first offshore Indian Rupee “masala” green bond, which supported renewable energy projects in India.
In 2019, we expanded our offering with the launch of the Sustainable Bond Market, introducing new segments for sustainability, social and Green Revenues. In 2020, the SBM expanded its criteria to enable sustainability-linked bonds to be displayed. Then in 2021, we took another step forward with the introduction of the transition bond segment, designed for issuers financing clearly defined climate transition activities, in line with the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) Handbook.
Over the past decade, the SBM has become a high-profile platform connecting investors and issuers. It works closely with market participants to champion sustainable issuance from sovereigns and supranationals to financial institutions and corporates. Today, the SBM is a truly global venue for sustainable finance– from the first Emerging Markets sovereign green bond from Fiji, the first from Greater China with Hong Kong, the firsts from the Middle East with Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the first corporate issuance from Africa from Kenya, and firsts from the Americas with Mexico, Uruguay and Brazil - making the London Stock Exchange a truly international place for sustainable finance. These milestones reflect the London Stock Exchange’s role as a global hub for sustainable finance.
