- July is typically a slow month for global green bond sales
- BloombergNEF sees issuance slowing under greenwashing scrutiny
Global sales of green bonds, the largest category of sustainable debt by amount issued, plunged to a 19-month low in July amid a typical summer lull and as opportunistic borrowers preferred traditional bond offerings that are faster to complete.
Sales of green bonds fell to about $24 billion last month from over $45 billion the previous month, data compiled by Bloomberg show. That’s the lowest since December 2020, when companies and governments issued about $7.7 billion of green debt.
July, August and December are historically three of the slowest issuance months for green bonds. And while global bond issuance is picking up after a rough first half, borrowers find it harder to accelerate a sustainable transaction when market conditions are favorable because these transactions require more work leading up to the sale, according to top underwriters of the debt.
Bloomberg Green
By David Caleb Mutua
August 9, 2022