Decarbonising energy in Southeast Asia: A bank and regulator's perspective | FinanceAsia

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The need to connect the world energy system with the 1 is essential. 5°C purpose has never been more powerful. August 2023 marked the hottest month on record, surpassing even the document set in July 2023 by a substantial margin. The severity and frequency of climate change impacts are rising, highlighting the urgent need for activity.

According to the International Energy Agency ( “IEA” ), global carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) emissions from the energy sector reached a new record high of 37 billion tonnes ( Gt ) in 2022, 1 % above their pre-pandemic level, but are set to peak this decade.

Piyush Gupta, the CEO of DBS Bank, highlighted some of the important difficulties financial institutions are facing as they move to the energy market.

One important issue, according to Gupta, is the untested economy of many new technology. While some industries have fairly good systems solutions, others lack feasible options. Although hydrogen may hold promise, it is now too far beyond the reach of use. Even where there is systems, these innovative solutions ‘ cost points and economics frequently differ from those of fossil-based energy sources or different segments.

The economy are different when comparing the cost of solar production in regions with high thermal efficiency, like China or India, to those with cloud cover, like the tropic, according to Gupta. Elements such as the cost of land, which can be considerable for tasks requiring large places, and the costs associated with store, intermittency, and network upgrades further complicate the financial viability of projects.

In fact, some initiatives are not simple to finance based only on commercial viability.

Gupta was speaking at a screen debate at the Singapore state investment Temasek’s monthly sustainability-focused function, Ecosperity, from April 15 to 17.

The need for relevant infrastructure spending is the next problem identified by Gupta. While a job may be initiated, if the necessary investments in another system components, such as the network, are not made continuously, the site’s potential is compromised. Thus, it is crucial for a financial institution to take into account the wider communication and infrastructure requirements beyond the task itself in order to assess the viability of the investment.

The Asean nations ‘ risk prices, as discussed by Gupta, have an impact on project viability and prices. Foreign exchange threat and royal risk are included in these risk premiums. Some nations in the area are not regarded as investment-grade, which adds to the sovereign risk premium. Foreign trade risk is another important issue, as funding for these projects frequently is in US dollars while profits are generated in regional currency. Significant financial difficulties can be caused by this gap.

Finally, Gupta shared that project funding is influenced by the off-takers reliability, especially in the energy sector, where political considerations may affect payment reliability. Regime modifications can add another layer of complexity to venture financing by raising doubts about the off-taker’s commitment to completing its legal obligations. Together, these problems add to the difficulty and complexity of funding regional system jobs.

But, while difficulties exist, concerted efforts are underway to mitigate them, with continued growth of remedies aimed at overcoming these roadblocks.

Gupta, who spoke to FinanceAsia on the outside of the occasion, put forth one like solution, which he believes can have a significant influence on the sector’s journey to zero.

One of the most important components of a toolbox of solutions to climate change is establishing a reliable and open global graphite market. A strong global carbon market is a powerful tool for the personal sector to move money from developed to developing areas. This in turn has the potential to have a significant effect by enabling emerging markets to obtain funding for sustainable development tasks, which are required to speed up the transition to a low-carbon business. ”

According to Gupta, pursuing the implementation of cross-border and export industry also offers a considerable option. “These areas enable resource countries to develop capacity, size, and engineering without bearing the price, as other states purchase their authority, ” he noted.

To put this in perspective, the demand for coal funds could increase by 15 days or more by 2030 and up to 100 days by 2050. By 2030, the use and buying of carbon credits was reach$ 50 billion, subject to the successful implementation of the Article 6 code adopted at COP26.

Singapore’s online zero journey 

Singapore has set a goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Singapore aims to have net-zero emissions from this industry by the same deadline given that its energy sector accounts for 40 % of its emissions. By importing fresh power from the Asean area, the nation intends to accomplish this goal.

Ngiam Shih Chun, chief executive, of the Energy Market Authority ( EMA ) of Singapore, said that while “Singapore has limited renewable energy resources, the country can access low-carbon electricity that is abundant in the region by connecting to regional power grids. This also encourages the growth of solar energy in the area and opens the door for the Asean Power Grid vision to become a reality. ”

The country has the target set to import up to fourgigawatts ( GW ) of low-carbon electricity by 2035, making up around 30 % of Singapore’s electricity supply then. EMA granted contingent certifications to trade up to 4 in 2023. 2 GW of low-carbon energy from Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Companies are now completing feasibility studies and obtaining regulatory approvals from transit and source nations.

The projects are physically and economically feasible, and the source nation and Singapore are working together in a beneficial way, Chun said.

As Singapore actions steps down from its energy sector, Chun mentioned that these jobs are also pioneering because cross-border power trading is now constrained in the area. Their large size is also something to keep in mind, for instance, a 1,000-kilometer high voltage direct current wire from Vietnam. They are thus facing regulatory problems.

But, once cleared, they are expected to accelerate the development of cross-border buying, according to Chun.

The Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore power project, for example, took years to negotiate but is now the first successful cross-border power trading initiative across four Southeast Asian ( SEA ) countries. To improve trading volume and make multi-directional trading more profitable, discussions are currently being conducted. This advancement is in line with the Asian power grid’s goal, which promotes cross-border trading and benefits various SEA nations.

A national hydrogen strategy, which outlines the potential pathways for gas to be adopted in the energy sector, which could account for up to 50 % of the power mix, is another initiative being taken in the nation. Recognising the price differential for innovative solutions, Singapore is seeking “Pathfinder projects”. As a part of this action, Singapore aims to work with the business to experiment with and build up abilities in superior gas technologies, and identify and address any professional, protection, or regulatory issues that may arise.

Chen said that the private sector and financial institutions are closely involved in this phased approach. Currently, the focus is on shortlisting consultants and conducting pre-field studies, with funding secured to support these initiatives. The goal of the approach is to address the cost disparities brought on by new technologies and ensure the project’s viability and bankability.

¬ Haymarket Media Limited. All rights reserved.

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Commentary: Malaysia’s difficult path to a low-carbon economy

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Second, Malaysia should pursue the huge potential for green investment in electric vehicles ( EVs ), including motorcycles, and in hydrogen-based industries. Malaysia might become a leader in innovation, for instance, by utilizing battery-swapping systems in EVs to shorten recharge cycles and extend battery life. The opportunities for EV deployment, such as the road tax deduction and individual tax deduction relating to EV costs, are justified. An EV trend may be crucial to Kuala Lumpur’s 2030 goal of reducing coal power to 45 per share of the 2005 levels.

The biggest desire for green tech lies in a gas discovery. A clean power alternative to natural gas that produces enormous heat as a byproduct as well as water. However, its commercialism faces difficult challenges, particularly due to the high cost of producing hydrogen. The options are already growing, with gas being increasingly used in substances, cotton fabric production, cup, electronics, and metalworking.

Malaysia has great potential in this area as positive experiences emerge, for instance in Sarawak, where projects such as H2ornbill and H2biscus, in collaboration with Asian and North Korean lovers respectively, have made strides in hydrogen-based, export-oriented business.

Third, Malaysia needs to sea up administrative and financial assistance. In addition to money models, incentives, and grants for alternative technology adoption and R& development, there are other important areas of focus. D.

The state needs clearer standards and regulations in green markets, and more strict monitoring of efficient investments, to increase transparency and accountability. The state could also take into account the creation of a natural classification, which local banks have indicated would be helpful in setting criteria for approving natural loans. Lastly, enhancing the mobility and quality of data will be important for policy research, monitoring, evaluation, and future reforms.

With its big rely on fossil fuels, Malaysia faces a difficult but necessary road to decarbonisation. Yet, the country is well-positioned to plug into emerging industrial opportunities for low-carbon growth in industry and travel. Moving forward, Malaysia has confidently and quickly encourage green investments and work toward its carbon reduction objectives.

The ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute is hosting Vinod Thomas as a visiting top brother. This commentary  second appeared  on the Institute’s site, Fulcrum.

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The need to transcend carbon tunnel vision - Asia Times

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One of the biggest international issues of our time is climate change. Last year was the nation’s hottest month on record by a large margin and possible the world’s best in the last 100, 000 times.

By then, it is well known that greenhouse gas emissions are the cause of climate change, which makes multi-country renewables attempts particularly urgent.

However, we also need to make sure we do n’t fall victim to” carbon tunnel vision,” which means focusing solely on emissions while ignoring other interrelated issues that are responsible for climate change.

For instance, we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, mostly caused by human activity. Between 1 000 and 10 000 times higher than the rate of biological death are currently occurring.

In addition, wildlife lost threatens up to one million species as well as invaluable communities. As ecosystems decompose, it further aggravates climate change by affecting the capacity of the Earth to self-regulate and disrupts normal carbon phases in land and sea.

Another linked problem is serious consumption, which is increasing at an alarming rate, mainly in higher- income countries. In fact, solutions are being squandering tools ‘ potential at a rate that is beyond the scope of our planet. &nbsp,

Overconsumption is a major contributor to the climate crisis, as well as the lack of resources that makes it difficult to implement specific environment options.

For instance, the numerous devices and appliances we use and replace frequently use similar rare earth metals that are needed for solar panels, wind fields, and electric cars.

Luckily, many of these problems may be solved in combination. To ensure the continuation of progress into the future, two things are needed: social resolve to implement change and transformative education on sustainable growth.

Social courage is needed at all levels, including at the regional, position, national, regional and global levels. Different nations can continue to advance if certain potent nations are preventing progress.

The European Union forgeted the European Green Deal by reversing 99 climate laws and regulations while Trump was president, which briefly removed the US from Paris.

During this time, China even emerged as the world’s largest producer of solar energy. Moreover, in 2020, The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People launched the 30×30 program to protect 30 % of Earth’s land and ocean place by 2030, with over 50 countries signing on by January 2021.

If one degree is in a deadlock, progress can also proceed at various levels. Partners from all industries can and do work to advance climate agendas if federal gridlock is preventing the passage of legislation.

For instance, after Trump withdrew from the Paris deal, over 1, 200 US states, cities, tribal governments, companies and institutions pledged their support for the Paris Agreement and committed to weather action in the presence of national authority.

A group of 25 children and youth in Colombia fought back by suing their country’s government for thwarting deforestation, and the resultant verdict was historic.

And the Science Panel for the Amazon has been created by over 240 scientists, two-thirds of whom are from Amazonian nations.

Second, ensure that people across generations are educated and knowledgeable about the pressing issues facing our planet by ensuring that they are educated and knowledgeable about the complex environmental and social challenges of today.

Education for Sustainable Development ( ESD ) is a vibrant field that aims to impart the fundamental principles and values of sustainability to everyone. The next generation now has the fundamental skills and tools to continue working toward a sustainable future through ESD.

For example, the Global Schools Program has trained over a 1, 000 teachers and engaged 176, 000 students in ESD. Meanwhile, the Laudato Si Movement, brought about by Pope Francis ‘ encyclical, has inspired and mobilized Catholics all around the world to care for the environment and achieve ecological justice.

A problem as grave and significant as climate change cannot be resolved through one method, such as emissions reductions. Instead, it will require parallel progress on multiple fronts, as well as political stability and transformative education for sustainable development. &nbsp,

Life on Earth continues to be interconnected, and all living things and systems around us are inextricably linked to one another. Let us keep in mind this upcoming Earth Day that we require interconnected solutions to solve interconnected issues, and that progress for one equals progress for everyone.

Justin Liew works for Sunway University and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network as a research analyst.

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Ravi Menon to be Singapore's first Ambassador for Climate Action

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SINGAPORE: Mr Ravi Menon, the former chief of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, will be the government’s earliest Ambassador for Climate Action.

He may play a major role in&nbsp, Singapore’s weather efforts internally and above, as well as represent the country at global climate action platforms.

” He will even drive public- exclusive partnerships with regional participants, in particular the business community, to help them acquire chances to succeed in a low- carbon future”, the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) said on Tuesday ( May 26 ).

Mr Menon will also be a top director at NCCS, which falls under the Prime Minister’s Office.

On April 1, both meetings take result.

Singapore has set a goal of achieving gross- zero&nbsp, pollution by 2050. &nbsp,

Some approaches to achieving that goal include promoting changes in business practices and investing in low-carbon technology. &nbsp,

Singapore will actively participate in fostering global cooperation to influence global climate action, and it will make use of our advantages as a global hub in doing so,” NCCS continued.

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'More efforts needed' to achieve sustainable development goals

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Progress is currently” never quick much.”

PUBLISHED: 15 Mar 2024 at 05: 00

'More efforts needed' to achieve sustainable development goals

The UN Global Compact’s Outreach & Engagement captain, Sue Allchurch, warned that the effort to create a healthier world area is in danger of failing. More ambitious shared actions from all stakeholders is required to meet the UN’s sustainable development goals in 2030.

Ms. Allchurch said in a statement to the media during a trip to Thailand that while the world has acknowledged the value of sustainable development, progress toward achieving the goals is no quick enough.

There are many barriers towards achieving the goals, including political instability, financial problems, and the effects of the pandemic and climate change, she said.

She said,” The business market is presently facing an unprecedented number of unusual global challenges that have never occurred before,” noting that the issues are much more difficult than they have previously.

According to Ms. Allchurch, citing a survey conducted by the UN Global Compact, 98 % of corporate executives global concurred that the UN’s sustainable development goals have given them a renewed target.

Around 75 % of Directors in the Asia-Pacific territory claimed to have contributed to the achievement of the targets by implementing conservation techniques in their day-to-day operations. The work, however, are n’t enough, she said. According to the study, 85 % of businesses worldwide are not on record to meet the objectives.

Only 39 % of the companies that have set goals that are in line with what the world needs, according to Ms Allchurch, out of the 91 % of those who have committed to sustainable development goals.

She claimed that the private business needs to set more ambitious goals in order to overcome the obstacles to achieving sustainable development goals and raise public awareness.

” We are convinced that the secret business will start to make significant changes.” They have come to an agreement that the technologies is a means of limiting the consequences, and they will invest in it, she continued.

The United Nations Global Compact last month released a CEO Sustainable Development Report that gathered major executive views on conservation, based on the 2030 SDGs plan, participated by 2, 600 Executives from 128 places.

According to the report, 98 % of CEOs listed inflation and price fluctuations as their top concerns, with 98 % of them citing them as their top concerns.

Climate change ranked third among the fears, with 93 % of the Directors listing it as a problem.

The UN Global Compact is now focusing on five key areas of green growth, particularly gender equality, climate action, living income, water endurance as well as finance and investment.

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Commentary: Singapore’s balancing act continues regardless of US election outcome

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Fourth, given that his predecessor is still controversial on a national level, the Biden strategy wants this election to be less of a referendum on the president’s second term and more of a choice over a second one. Trump’s irresponsible call for social security cuts is just one example of how he made it simpler for Biden to carry out that plan.

WHAT TO Expect During A Next Trump Trial

A Donald Trump return to power in the US would have significant repercussions internally.

A Trump success will result in work to source out the therefore- called “deep position” of civil servants, impacting the US government’s ability to function as it does now. His planned severe immigration crackdown will also result in a decline in home suffering, both economically and socially, as well as in international relations and climate change.

There will be a lot of influence on the rest of the world because the world’s security is more sensitive than ever.

If the US were to remain in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ), a second Trump term would mean a lessening of its commitment to Ukraine and a significant reduction in its involvement there.

Countries like Japan and South Korea are likely to find their individual nuclear weapons, which would have an impact on their relations with China and have a regional influence as a result.

A Trump presidency would be less likely to participate in restraining Israel in its vengeance against Hamas ‘ Oct. 7, 2023 strike, which the Biden administration has begun to do more formally. &nbsp, This could lead to further increase of the conflict, which may directly impact Singapore’s sea market.

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'More efforts needed' to achieve SDGs

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Progress is currently” never quick enough.”

PUBLISHED: 15 Mar 2024 at 05: 00

The UN Global Compact’s Outreach & Engagement captain, Sue Allchurch, warned that the effort to create a healthier world society is in danger of failing. More optimistic collective action from all partners is required to accomplish the UN’s 2030 objectives.

Ms. Allchurch said in a statement to the media during a trip to Thailand that while the world has acknowledged the value of sustainable development, progress toward achieving the goals is no quick enough.

There are many barriers towards achieving the goals, including political instability, financial problems, and the effects of the pandemic and climate change, she said.

She said,” The business market is presently facing an unprecedented number of unusual global challenges that have never occurred before,” noting that the issues are much more complicated in nature than they have previously.

According to Ms. Allchurch, citing a survey conducted by the UN Global Compact, 98 % of corporate executives global concurred that the UN’s sustainable development goals have given them a renewed target.

By implementing conservation techniques in their main businesses, roughly 75 % of CEOs in the Asia-Pacific territory claimed to have contributed to achieving the goals. The work, however, are n’t much, she said. According to the study, 85 % of businesses worldwide are not on record to meet the objectives.

Only 39 % of the companies that have set goals that are in line with what the world needs, according to Ms Allchurch, out of the 91 % of those who have committed to sustainable development goals.

She claimed that the secret business needs to set more ambitious goals in order to address the obstacles to achieving sustainable development goals and raise public awareness.

” We are convinced that the secret business will start to make significant changes.” They have come to an agreement that the technology is a way to reduce the consequences, and they will spend in it, she continued.

The United Nations Global Compact last month released a CEO Sustainable Development Report that gathered major executive views on conservation, based on the 2030 SDGs plan, participated by 2, 600 Executives from 128 places.

According to the report, CEOs ‘ top concerns are inflation and price fluctuations, with 98 % of them citing it as their top concern.

Climate change ranked third among the fears, with 93 % of the Directors listing it as a problem.

The UN Global Compact is now focusing on five key areas of green growth, particularly gender equality, climate action, living pay, water endurance as well as finance and investment.

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Companies must seize opportunities to go green and stay competitive, or risk losing out: Grace Fu

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WHERE THE Earth focuses ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Besides opportunities, Singapore has come up with different techniques to encourage businesses to decarbonise, like as implementing a carbon tax.

Ms. Fu pointed out that some industries are now experiencing climate change’s results.

She added: “Do we want to rush and get swept- and say, ‘just delay, keep on, let’s see who else is doing and how hard they’re moving before we start. ’

“Or do we say: ‘ Hey, we need to do this anyway, so might as well make full use of the opportunities that come our way. ’” 

At the discourse, Ms Fu also spoke about how the COP28 climate talks in Dubai had been fairly effective.  

Delegates agreed to officially create a loss and destruction fund to assist flimsy nations that are dealing with climate change on the first day of the weather summit.  

After two months of intensive conversations, members from nearly 200 nations finally reached a deal that urges countries to switch from fossil fuels.

A global overview of where the world stands on climate change was also revealed at the Dubai event, and how nations have fared in bringing global heat to the important 1 level. 5 degrees Fahrenheit control called for in the Paris Agreement.  

We all come to terms with the fact that this is the goal that we will pursue, and we have specific suggestions for the change, she said.  

So it’s really a step toward simply saying that everyone should strive for this goal, and that everyone should work toward it, especially in terms of mitigation. ”

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IWD Deal Analysis: How IIX’s WLB6 Orange bond helps women’s livelihoods in Asia | FinanceAsia

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In a growing regional trend, December 2023 saw the sixth issuance of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX)’s Women’s Livelihood Bond (WLB) Series, the $100 million Women’s Livelihood Bond 6 (WLB6).

Altogether the IIX, since 2017, has raised $228 million to support women’s economic empowerment in Asia, with the overall trend in deal size on an upward trend. FinanceAsia discussed the investors, the rationale and the processes involved in order to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024 on Friday, March 9 and the drive towards diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across the region. 

The closing of WLB6 marked the world’s largest sustainable debt security and was issued in compliance with the Orange Bond Principles and aims to uplift over 880,000 women and girls in the Global South.

Global law firm Clifford Chance advised Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) and Standard Chartered Bank pro bono as placement agents.

Proceeds from WLB6 will be used to promote the growth of women-focused businesses and sustainable livelihoods across six sectors: agriculture; water and sanitation; clean energy; affordable housing; SME lending and microfinance across India, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kenya and Vietnam. 100% of the $100 million proceeds designed to advance UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5: gender equality and 25-30% designed to advance SDG 13 — climate action.

Robert Kraybill, chief investment officer, IIX, told FA: “The Women’s Livelihood Bond (WLB) Series is a blended finance instrument that pools capital from public-sector development finance institutions and private-sector investors. The public sector investors provide risk-tolerant “first-loss” capital in the form of subordinated notes, while the private sector investors purchase the senior bonds.”

“The WLB Series targets a range of private sector investors seeking a combination of high impact with low risk and an appropriate return. From the outset, beginning with the WLB1, the bonds have attracted both family offices and institutional investors. Initially, this was skewed towards family offices. As the WLB issuances increased, we saw increased interest from institutional investors, such that over 90% of the WLB6 was placed with institutions,” added Kraybill. 

For WLB6, there were global investors on the deal including from the US, Europe and Asia Pacific (Apac). The WLB6 bonds comply with the EU and UK securitisation regulations, making it easier for European institutional investors to participate. For example, one of the investors was Dutch pension fund APG Asset Management which invested $30 million.

Kraybill said: “Throughout building the loan portfolios for the WLBs – from sourcing and screening to due diligence – we integrate traditional credit criteria with impact criteria. We look to invest in companies meeting our credit and financial criteria while delivering meaningful positive impact.”

“We are proud that we have not experienced any payment defaults or credit losses on any of the WLB loan portfolios, demonstrating the resilience of the high-impact women-focused businesses that we work with, even in the face of challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The first two bonds in the WLB Series – WLB1 and WLB2 – have matured and been fully retired, meeting all of their obligations to bondholders,” Kraybill added. 

The IIX, which is headquartered in Singapore and has offices in Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, also tracks the impact outcomes generated by its investment throughout the life of the bonds and reports on the targets. WLB1 and WLB2 exceeded impact projections, according to IIX.   

Complex deal

Given the number of parties involved and a myriad of regulations and compliance, the deal was not easy to put together. 

Gareth Deiner, partner at Clifford Chance, explained to FA the law firm’s role in the deal: “We’ve been involved for several years on these transactions, and this is not the first woman’s livelihood bond that the IIX team has put together.”

Singapore-based Deiner continued: “Historically, we have acted on the trustee side, but we have been advising the lead managers of the transaction for the last three offerings. It’s approximately a three to four month execution process to make sure we get the documentation agreed and the structure in place. IIX do the underlying due diligence on the borrowers, which is necessary given that the financing is raised from the international capital markets. Together with their counsel, they work on the disclosure in the offering document for the bond transaction.”

“As counsel to the lead managers, we are responsible for the underlying contractual documentation for the notes and the offering, but it’s IIX who retain control over the loan documentation with the notes proceeds end-users, and putting the loan pool together. They’re doing due diligence on the on the underlying borrowers of the deal,” he explained. 

This is backed up by IIX’s due diligence. IIX’s Kraybill explained: “The financial due diligence conducted by our credit team is similar to that of other emerging market lenders. What sets us apart is the upfront impact due diligence and ongoing impact monitoring and reporting conducted by our impact assessment team. Our team screens potential investments against rigorous eligibility criteria to ensure they contribute to positive outcomes for underserved women and gender minorities in the Global South while often empowering women as agents of climate action.”

Navigating US legal rules and dealing with investors from around the world also added to the complexity. 

Deiner said: “Dealing with a wide range of investors, including qualified institutional buyers in the US, we needed to comply with US federal securities law, including limiting the sale of the notes to qualified purchasers under the US Investment Company Act. There were also certain structural considerations raised by the EU and UK securitisation regulation.”

“From a legal perspective, it was an interesting deal because there’s a wide range of highly technical substantive law, which required the input from specialists across the Clifford Chance network. We have the expertise across the globe and do a lot of sustainable financing work,” continued Deiner. 

“Recently we’ve advised on some market-leading and groundbreaking transactions in terms of bringing sustainability finance technology to capital markets transactions,” he added.

However, this deal, in particular, involved social governance goals. 

Deiner explained: “What we like about this particular transaction is that so much of the Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) agenda is about the environmental (E) angle, such as green bonds related to carbon transition and climate action. That encompasses sustainable  development goal 13 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).”

“However, you rarely hear about sustainable finance transactions that focus on the S and the G in ESG, which IIX champions. Each of the sustainable development goals (SDG) has its own hue, its own colour. This transaction focusses on SDG 5, which is gender equality, and are referred to as Orange bonds – orange being the hue for SGD 5. In addition, IIX has developed its own framework and principles to really drive that S in the ESG,” he added.

Tracking societal impact

There is still a key issue on how to track the impact of where the money ends up.

IIX’s due diligence process includes interviews with beneficiaries and stakeholders of investees,  using its own digital impact assessment tool to incorporate input from a broad group of female beneficiaries. This verifies impact claims while giving a voice and value to the women it is assisting, according to Kraybill.

He continued: “Our selection process for projects funded through WLB6 closely aligns with the objectives of The Orange Movement. Each of the bonds in the WLB Series adheres to The Orange Bond Principles, which focuses on empowering women, girls, and gender minorities, particularly in climate action and adaptation.”

IIX looks at the potential of each project’s mission, vision, goals, and business structure, to evaluate alignment with the core values of the WLB Series and The Orange Movement. Its impact assessment team conducts due diligence to ensure selected projects meet criteria outlined by The Orange Movement and contribute to promoting gender equity and addressing climate challenges in emerging markets, according to Kraybill.

With the rise of bonds connected to ESG and DEI, the scrutiny from investors is also increasing, especially with the prevalence of greenwashing. 

Clifford Chance’s Deiner said: “The legal landscape for green bonds and sustainability-linked bonds has evolved considerably in recent years, particularly regarding due diligence. When a company issues a green bond under a green bond framework, substantial work is required to ensure the bond’s integrity. This diligence has become a critical factor in investment decisions, as investors need to be confident that the environmental credentials are genuine and not merely an instance of greenwashing.”

“One of the key parts of the Orange bond initiative is achieving transparency in the investment process and decision, and the subsequent reporting, as the proceeds are going to an issuer who is on-lending it again, to, for example, a microfinance lender. It’s a combination of seeking an investment return and a view on the credit profile. The funds have specific objectives regarding capital allocation, and the appeal of the Orange bond aspect aligns with this focus,” Deiner added. 

$10 billion goal

The IIX has an ambitious goal of mobilising $10 billion by 2030 and optimism abounds. 

Kraybill said: “We remain optimistic about reaching our ambitious goal through sustained collaboration and concerted action, empowering women and girls worldwide while fostering inclusive and sustainable development.”

“Partnerships with the Orange Bond Steering Committee organisations, like the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Nuveen, and others, are vital in this endeavour. Together, we aim to build a gender-empowered financing system, mobilise new capital, and accelerate progress toward gender equality and women’s empowerment globally,” Kraybill added.

The Orange Movement is also building “Orange Alliances” at regional and national levels to bring together gender lens investors and other stakeholders. IIX is conducting training programs to train and certify Orange Bond verification agents.

“We’re introducing an “Orange Seal” for MSMEs and other organisations, which enhances their gender, DEI, and climate bona fides. We have expanded our transaction tagging functionality to include innovative finance instruments that adhere to the Orange Bond Principles framework. Furthermore, we’re eagerly anticipating the launch of the Orange Loan Facility, alongside numerous other initiatives to further the Orange Movement’s mission,” Kraybill said. 

He said: “We remain optimistic about reaching our ambitious goal through sustained collaboration and concerted action, empowering women and girls worldwide while fostering inclusive and sustainable development.”

The next bond could potentially be much larger than WLB6’s $100 million. 

Clifford Chance’s Deiner is also optimistic: “There’s a flow of transactions that we’re going to see over the next 12 months, and this an area that people are paying more attention to. The transactions have grown considerably over the years. These transactions have involved deals from around $20 million up to the latest offering of $100 million. So, there is clearly increasing demand for these transactions each year.”

Standard Chartered declined to provide a comment for the article.


¬ Haymarket Media Limited. All rights reserved.

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IWD Deal Analysis: IIX’s WLB6 Orange Bond helping women’s livelihoods in Asia | FinanceAsia

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In: Asia, Finance, South-East Asia

In a growing regional trend, December 2023 saw the sixth issuance of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX)’s Women’s Livelihood Bond (WLB) Series, the $100 million Women’s Livelihood Bond 6 (WLB6).

Altogether the IIX, since 2017, has raised $228 million to support women’s economic empowerment in Asia, with the overall trend in deal size on an upward trend. FinanceAsia discussed the investors, the rationale and the processes involved in order to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024 on Friday, March 9 and the drive towards diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across the region. 

The closing of WLB6 marked the world’s largest sustainable debt security and was issued in compliance with the Orange Bond Principle and aims to uplift over 880,000 women and girls in the Global South.

Global law firm Clifford Chance advised Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) and Standard Chartered Bank pro bono as placement agents.

Proceeds from WLB6 will be used to promote the growth of women-focused businesses and sustainable livelihoods across six sectors: agriculture; water and sanitation; clean energy; affordable housing; SME lending and microfinance across India, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kenya and Vietnam. 100% of the $100 million proceeds designed to advance UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5: gender equality and 25-30% designed to advance SDG 13 — climate action.

Robert Kraybill, chief investment officer, IIX, told FA: “The Women’s Livelihood Bond (WLB) Series is a blended finance instrument that pools capital from public-sector development finance institutions and private-sector investors. The public sector investors provide risk-tolerant “first-loss” capital in the form of subordinated notes, while the private sector investors purchase the senior bonds.”

“The WLB Series targets a range of private sector investors seeking a combination of high impact with low risk and an appropriate return. From the outset, beginning with the WLB1, the bonds have attracted both family offices and institutional investors. Initially, this was skewed towards family offices. As the WLB issuances increased, we saw increased interest from institutional investors, such that over 90% of the WLB6 was placed with institutions,” added Kraybill. 

For WLB6, there were global investors on the deal including from the US, Europe and Asia Pacific (Apac). The WLB6 bonds comply with the EU and UK securitisation regulations, making it easier for European institutional investors to participate. For example, one of the investors was Dutch pension fund APG Asset Management which invested $30 million.

Kraybill said: “Throughout building the loan portfolios for the WLBs – from sourcing and screening to due diligence – we integrate traditional credit criteria with impact criteria. We look to invest in companies meeting our credit and financial criteria while delivering meaningful positive impact.”

“We are proud that we have not experienced any payment defaults or credit losses on any of the WLB loan portfolios, demonstrating the resilience of the high-impact women-focused businesses that we work with, even in the face of challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The first two bonds in the WLB Series – WLB1 and WLB2 – have matured and been fully retired, meeting all of their obligations to bondholders,” Kraybill added. 

The IIX, which is headquartered in Singapore and has offices in Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, also tracks the impact outcomes generated by its investment throughout the life of the bonds and reports on the targets. WLB1 and WLB2 exceeded impact projections, according to IIX.   

Complex deal

Given the number of parties involved and a myriad of regulations and compliance, the deal was not easy to put together. 

Gareth Deiner, partner at Clifford Chance, explained to FA the law firm’s role in the deal: “We’ve been involved for several years on these transactions, and this is not the first woman’s livelihood bond that the IIX team has put together.”

Singapore-based Deiner continued: “Historically, we have acted on the trustee side, but we have been advising the lead managers of the transaction for the last three offerings. It’s approximately a three to four month execution process to make sure we get the documentation agreed and the structure in place. IIX do the underlying due diligence on the borrowers, which is necessary given that the financing is raised from the international capital markets. Together with their counsel, they work on the disclosure in the offering document for the bond transaction.”

“As counsel to the lead managers, we are responsible for the underlying contractual documentation for the notes and the offering, but it’s IIX who retain control over the loan documentation with the notes proceeds end-users, and putting the loan pool together. They’re doing due diligence on the on the underlying borrowers of the deal,” he explained. 

This is backed up by IIX’s due diligence. IIX’s Kraybill explained: “The financial due diligence conducted by our credit team is similar to that of other emerging market lenders. What sets us apart is the upfront impact due diligence and ongoing impact monitoring and reporting conducted by our impact assessment team. Our team screens potential investments against rigorous eligibility criteria to ensure they contribute to positive outcomes for underserved women and gender minorities in the Global South while often empowering women as agents of climate action.”

Navigating US legal rules and dealing with investors from around the world also added to the complexity. 

Deiner said: “Dealing with a wide range of investors, including qualified institutional buyers in the US, we needed to comply with US federal securities law, including limiting the sale of the notes to qualified purchasers under the US Investment Company Act. There were also certain structural considerations raised by the EU and UK securitisation regulation.”

“From a legal perspective, it was an interesting deal because there’s a wide range of highly technical substantive law, which required the input from specialists across the Clifford Chance network. We have the expertise across the globe and do a lot of sustainable financing work,” continued Deiner. 

“Recently we’ve advised on some market-leading and groundbreaking transactions in terms of bringing sustainability finance technology to capital markets transactions,” he added.

However, this deal, in particular involved social governance goals. 

Deiner explained: “What we like about this particular transaction is that so much of the Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) agenda is about the environmental (E) angle, such as green bonds related to carbon transition and climate action. That encompasses sustainable  development goal 13 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).”

“However, you rarely hear about sustainable finance transactions that focus on the S and the G in ESG, which IIX champions. Each of the sustainable development goals (SDG) has its own hue, its own colour. This transaction focusses on SDG 5, which is gender equality, and are referred to as Orange bonds – orange being the hue for SGD 5. In addition, IIX has developed its own framework and principles to really drive that S in the ESG,” he added.

Tracking societal impact

There is still a key issue on how to track the impact of where the money ends up.

IIX’s due diligence process includes interviews with beneficiaries and stakeholders of investees,  using its own digital impact assessment tool to incorporate input from a broad group of female beneficiaries. This verifies impact claims while giving a voice and value to the women it is assisting, according to Kraybill.

He continued: “Our selection process for projects funded through WLB6 closely aligns with the objectives of The Orange Movement. Each of the bonds in the WLB Series adheres to The Orange Bond Principles, which focuses on empowering women, girls, and gender minorities, particularly in climate action and adaptation.”

IIX looks at the potential of each project’s mission, vision, goals, and business structure, to evaluate alignment with the core values of the WLB Series and The Orange Movement. Its impact assessment team conducts due diligence to ensure selected projects meet criteria outlined by The Orange Movement and contribute to promoting gender equity and addressing climate challenges in emerging markets, according to Kraybill.

With the rise of bonds connected to ESG and DEI, the scrutiny from investors is also increasing, especially with the prevalence of greenwashing. 

Clifford Chance’s Deiner said: “The legal landscape for green bonds and sustainability-linked bonds has evolved considerably in recent years, particularly regarding due diligence. When a company issues a green bond under a green bond framework, substantial work is required to ensure the bond’s integrity. This diligence has become a critical factor in investment decisions, as investors need to be confident that the environmental credentials are genuine and not merely an instance of greenwashing.”

“One of the key parts of the Orange bond initiative is achieving transparency in the investment process and decision, and the subsequent reporting, as the proceeds are going to an issuer who is on-lending it again, to, for example, a microfinance lender. It’s a combination of seeking an investment return and a view on the credit profile. The funds have specific objectives regarding capital allocation, and the appeal of the Orange bond aspect aligns with this focus,” Deiner added. 

$10 billion goal

The IIX has an ambitious goal of mobilising $10 billion by 2030 and optimism abounds. 

Kraybill said: “We remain optimistic about reaching our ambitious goal through sustained collaboration and concerted action, empowering women and girls worldwide while fostering inclusive and sustainable development.”

“Partnerships with the Orange Bond Steering Committee organisations, like the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Nuveen, and others, are vital in this endeavour. Together, we aim to build a gender-empowered financing system, mobilise new capital, and accelerate progress toward gender equality and women’s empowerment globally,” Kraybill added.

The Orange Movement is also building “Orange Alliances” at regional and national levels to bring together gender lens investors and other stakeholders. IIX is conducting training programs to train and certify Orange Bond verification agents.

“We’re introducing an “Orange Seal” for MSMEs and other organisations, which enhances their gender, DEI, and climate bona fides. We have expanded our transaction tagging functionality to include innovative finance instruments that adhere to the Orange Bond Principles framework. Furthermore, we’re eagerly anticipating the launch of the Orange Loan Facility, alongside numerous other initiatives to further the Orange Movement’s mission,” Kraybill said. 

He said: “We remain optimistic about reaching our ambitious goal through sustained collaboration and concerted action, empowering women and girls worldwide while fostering inclusive and sustainable development.”

The next bond could potentially be much larger than WLB6’s $100 million. 

Clifford Chance’s Deiner is also optimistic: “There’s a flow of transactions that we’re going to see over the next 12 months, and this an area that people are paying more attention to. The transactions have grown considerably over the years. These transactions have involved deals from around $20 million up to the latest offering of $100 million. So, there is clearly increasing demand for these transactions each year.”

Standard Chartered declined to provide a comment for the article.


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