Apple's Record $1.5 Billion Green Bond Seen Spurring Other Corporate Issuers

摘要

Apple Inc.'s new green bond could trigger other companies to follow suit, with more corporate issuance this year for investments in renewable energy and climate change projects, analysts examining the niche market said. The maker of iPhones and Macintosh computers sold $1.5 billion of seven-year green bonds Feb. 16 to help finance Apple's goal of running 100 percent of its operations on renewable energy. The proceeds also will be used to test greener materials in its products and conserve natural resources, such as water. "When one of the highest profile brands in the world embraces green bonds, it's definitely a signal to corporate America," Sean Kidney, chief executive of the Climate Bonds Initiative, a London-based nonprofit that tracks green bonds, said in an interview.