Europe’s major Green Bond Issuers launch the Corporate Forum on Sustainable Finance

Through this initiative sixteen among Europe’s largest companies intend to push forward the development of sustainable finance

January 15th, 2019 – One year after the Paris Green Bond Pledge, published to mark 2017 Climate Finance Day, sixteen European companies (EDF, EDP, ENEL, ENGIE, Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane, Iberdrola, Icade, Ørsted, RATP, SNCF Réseau, Société du Grand Paris, SSE, Tennet, Terna, Tideway, Vasakronan) have joined to set up the Corporate Forum on Sustainable Finance (“the Forum”). The Forum, designed as a permanent network for exchanging views and ideas, brings together dynamic “Green Issuers” committed to upholding and developing sustainable finance as a critical tool to fight climate change and to foster a more sustainable and responsible society.

The founding companies – involved in a number of industries including electricity utilities, clean transport infrastructures and operations, environmental infrastructures and services, and real estate - aspire to contribute more towards the development of a broader set of financial market instruments under the umbrella of sustainable finance such as green and sustainable bonds and loans, credit facilities as well as other sustainable financing tools recognizing the sustainability of their issuers’ business model.

Representing over two-thirds of green and sustainable bond volumes issued by European corporations, the Forum regards sustainable finance instruments as efficient market-based tools that allocate the economic resources where they are most needed, particularly to low-carbon and sustainable investments, which are central to the members’ corporate strategies.

Today, we join our voices to expand the commitments sealed in 2017 in order to

• More-deeply integrate the notion of sustainability in the financial strategies of our respective companies
• Work with investors to spur the development of a more sustainable economy through innovative financing instruments;
• Increase corporate presence in international and national forums shaping the development of sustainable finance markets;
• Actively participate in the processes setting the future standards and regulatory frameworks for sustainable finance instruments;
• Leverage on our mutual expertise and promote best practices on impact reporting;
• Discuss with rating agencies about more-deeply integrating SRI criteria in the assessment of companies’ long term financial sustainability.

Sustainable finance is an exciting journey for both issuers and investors. It is going to become an increasingly prominent issue with investors quickly adapting to these new trends and willing to allocate capital on sustainable initiatives.

As such, the Forum is an opportunity to put business at the forefront of the low carbon and sustainability transition.