News Releases

Firm recognized as CBI’s Largest Verifier for Certified Climate Bonds for the sixth consecutive year

May 18, 2023, Toronto - Morningstar Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of ESG research, ratings, and data, is proud to share recognition in sustainable finance from five esteemed industry groups for innovation and leadership in delivering credible second-party opinions (SPOs) to advance the green, social, and sustainability capital debt market.

For six years running, Morningstar Sustainalytics Corporate Solutions has been recognized as the Largest Verifier for Certified Climate Bonds by Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI). Sustainalytics continues to focus on supporting the growth and integrity of the climate-resilient global market through in-depth insights, research, and innovation to support issuers with the renowned credibility of the CBI framework.

“Morningstar Sustainalytics is humbled to receive this recognition for a sixth consecutive year. We constantly invest in and innovate to support the capital markets community in making better-informed decisions toward a more sustainable global economy,” says Barbara Lambotte, Sustainalytics’ Vice President of Corporate Solutions. Our team takes great pride in upholding the Climate Bonds Standard, ensuring certified projects meaningfully contribute to addressing climate change.”

Through reviewing capital debt projects spanning green, social, and sustainability bonds, Sustainalytics’ second-party opinions provide investors with information on whether bond proceeds are being allocated, managed, and reported on in a transparent manner. The company also provides SPO updates, annual reviews, and pre- and post-issuance CBI verification reports to a host of issuers. An SPO from Sustainalytics provides investors with assurance that a bond framework is aligned to accepted market principles, including the Green Bond Principles or the Green Loan Principles, and that the proceeds of the bond or loan, as set out in a project framework, are aligned to market practices and expectations from the investment community.

Morningstar Sustainalytics is honoured to receive notable 2023 accolades from the sustainable finance industry

Environmental Finance’s Sustainable Bonds Insight 2023 report identified Sustainalytics as the external reviewer with the largest market share of the green, social and sustainability bond markets by number of issuers in 2022.

Sustainalytics was named Best Second Party Opinion Provider in The Asset Triple A Sustainable Capital Markets Awards. This award recognizes Sustainalytics for providing Second Party Opinions for six winning deals related to sustainability, environmental impact, and social bond projects.

• Best green bond – Public Utilities Board S$800 million green senior notes
• Best social bond – Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation HK$8 billion/3 billion offshore yuan senior unsecured social notes
• Best green bond – Carbon Neutrality - Industrial and Commercial Bank of China US$2.68 billion equivalent multi-branch, multi-currency carbon neutrality-themed green bond
• Best green bond – Water - Korea Water Resources Corporation US$350 million senior unsecured green bond
• Best local currency green bond - ACEN Corporation 10 billion pesos Asean green bond
• Best green bond - Lenovo Group US$625 million senior unsecured green bond

The Asset Triple A Sustainable Country Awards recognized Sustainalytics as the Second-Opinion Provider for two winning deals:

• Shinhan Bank’s US$500 million Basel III-compliant tier 2 subordinated climate bond is South Korea’s first CBI-certified green bond. The use of proceeds is expected to advance Seoul’s and south Korea’s commitments to provide low-carbon transportation solutions and achieve the country’s net zero emission targets by 2050.
• The Airport Authority Hong Kong’s US$1 billion green bond was part of its total US$4 billion fund raising and represents its inaugural green financing. The deal also included a 40-year tranche amounting to US$600 million – the longest tenor benchmark US dollar bond offering of a Hong Kong issuer.
  

The Asia Pacific Loan Market Association presented Sustainalytics with their award for Green and Sustainability Independent Review Firm of the Year This newly created award recognizes outstanding achievements in green and sustainable reviews, voted by APLMA members.

To learn more about Morningstar Sustainalytics’ opinion services and complementary corporate solutions, please visit here. 

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_{About Morningstar Sustainalytics}

_{Morningstar Sustainalytics is a leading ESG data, research, ratings firm that supports investors around the world with the development and implementation of responsible investment strategies. For more than 30 years, the firm has been at the forefront of developing high-quality, innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of global investors. Today, Morningstar Sustainalytics works with hundreds of the world’s leading asset managers and pension funds who incorporate ESG information and assessments into their investment processes. The firm also works with hundreds of companies and their financial intermediaries to help them consider sustainability in policies, practices, and capital projects. With 17 offices globally, Morningstar Sustainalytics has more than 1,800 staff members, including more than 850 analysts with varied multidisciplinary expertise across more than 40 industry groups. For more information, visit www.sustainalytics.com.}

_{Morningstar Sustainalytics produces various ratings, assessments and metrics which include assumptions of future events, which may or may not occur or may differ significantly from what was assumed. These ratings, assessments and metrics are statements of opinions, subject to change, are not to be considered as guarantees, and should not be used as the sole basis for investment decisions. Morningstar Sustainalytics does not provide investment advice or any other form of (financial) advice and nothing within this press release constitutes such advice.}