SUSTAINABLE LOANS HIT 20% MARKET SHARE IN EUROPE

摘要

IN THE FIKST QUARTER of 2021, one in five investment grade and leveraged loans issued in the European markets were linked to environmental, social or governance (ESG) objectives, according to the Association for Financial Markets in Europe's first quarter 2021 ESG finance report. This is the highest level on record for the market, which has grown rapidly in the past four years. BBVA is believed to have led the world's first green syndicated loan in 2017, and that year the green-loan market (as it was then) accounted for just 0.3% of all loans originated in Europe. As of the end of 2020, the broader ESG loan market in Europe had grown to 13.7% of all loans originated. Similar to the trend witnessed in bond markets, social loans have been a significant driver of increased ESG-related issuance, accounting for 85.1% of this market in the first quarter of 2021, compared to just 12.6% green loans. The Covid-19 pandemic has been a significant catalyst in the growth of social issuance as many issuers have raised funds to invest in economic recovery and health-related projects.