- EUR 1bn proceeds directed to renewable energy, green buildings, circular economy and climate resilience in emerging markets.
- Orderbook peaked at more than EUR 3.9bn, reflecting deep investor appetite for EM-focused sustainable assets.
- Sustainable Finance asset pool totals USD 23.3bn with more than 70 percent of green assets located in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Standard Chartered has issued its inaugural Green Bond in a EUR 1bn format, expanding the bank’s platform for Sustainable Finance issuance and directing capital toward climate and resource solutions in developing economies. The deal comes as investors demonstrate renewed preference for labelled debt and as emerging markets become central to the decarbonisation priorities of global financiers, multilateral agencies and corporates.
Green Allocation Strategy and Emerging Market Rationale
Proceeds from the bond will finance projects in renewable energy, green buildings and circular economy initiatives. Allocations will also support climate resilient infrastructure, energy efficiency, sustainable water and natural resource management consistent with the bank’s Sustainability Bond Framework and second party opinion from Sustainalytics.
Diego De Giorgi, Group Chief Financial Officer at Standard Chartered, said: “Our first Sustainable Finance issuance in a Green-only format is an important milestone and demonstrates Standard Chartered’s unique ability to raise capital in the world’s largest financial centres and deploy it across borders, into those markets where the need for sustainable finance is most acute. As a global bank that sits at the centre of capital, trade and investment flows, across both developed and developing economies, this issuance highlights how we’re providing financial solutions to support long-term growth across our markets.”
More than 70 percent of the bank’s USD 17.4bn green asset pool is located in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The lender argues the emissions impact of emerging market financing can outweigh similar transactions in developed markets.
Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer at Standard Chartered, said: “In emerging markets, every dollar of financing can have a disproportionate impact in terms of reducing carbon emissions. Our financing of renewable energy projects in Indonesia will have a 10 times greater impact on CO2 avoided than a similar sized project in France due to the displacement of power on more carbon intensive grids. Another reason why an issuance like this makes a significant contribution to global sustainable growth and development.”
Demand Dynamics and Market Context
Strong investor appetite supported final pricing on what bankers described as one of the busiest sessions in the EUR investment grade credit market. Orderbooks peaked at more than EUR 3.9bn.
Dan Hodge, Group Treasurer at Standard Chartered, said: “Investor demand was strong for this issuance with orderbooks peaking at over EUR 3.9bn. Investors in our Sustainable Finance offering continue to enjoy the benefit of facing a UK regulated Bank counterparty, while the impact delivered through our products and in this case, through our first Green Bond, takes place in many of the most dynamic and high-growth developing markets.”
Salman Ansari, Global Head of Capital Markets at Standard Chartered, said: “SCPLC navigated what transpired to be the busiest ever day in EUR IG credit markets to price its debut Green offering, having previously issued in Social and Sustainable format. The EUR 1bn sized offering landed flat to the Issuer’s secondary curve. Credit to the strength of our credit and the investor interest in our sustainability story.”
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Case Studies and On the Ground Impacts
Recent transactions from the Sustainable Finance asset pool illustrate the bank’s thesis that emerging markets can generate superior decarbonisation efficiency per dollar invested.
In Ghana, financing for rapid response emergency bridges is enhancing flood resilience and restoring connectivity in rural districts. The bridges are designed to mitigate flood damage and re-establish access to employment, education and healthcare.
In India, a USD 15.2m facility to GreenCell Mobility will support procurement and operation of 150 electric buses in Surat, Gujarat. The ten year project finance green loan is expected to avoid 99,474 tonnes of CO2 equivalent over its lifetime while modernising public transport and improving passenger safety and comfort.
In Türkiye, a EUR 249m Export Credit Agency supported green loan for Kalyon Enerji is backing development of the country’s second-largest solar plant. Once completed, the project will generate enough electricity to power more than 80,000 households annually, contributing roughly 11 percent of Türkiye’s solar power generation and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Takeaways for Investors and Policy Stakeholders
Labelled debt issuance has accelerated in Europe as corporates and financial institutions align with EU Sustainable Finance frameworks and investor mandates. Standard Chartered’s debut adds to that supply while tilting allocations toward the developing world. For institutional investors staging capital for emissions reduction and adaptation outcomes, the deal offers exposure to jurisdictions where policy support remains uneven but where marginal climate benefit can be highest.
At the policy level, the transaction layers into a broader shift that recognises the structural gap in sustainable finance flows to emerging economies. The International Energy Agency has estimated developing countries require more than USD 2tn annually by 2030 to remain on a net zero pathway, yet current flows remain a fraction of that target.
Global Relevance
Standard Chartered reported USD 23.3bn in total Sustainable Finance assets in September 2024 with 78 percent located in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. This geographic tilt is likely to persist as climate capital rebalances toward regions where energy demand is rising and where infrastructure and adaptation investments carry strategic and geopolitical implications.
The debut Green Bond positions the bank as a repeat issuer in the European sustainable fixed income market and illustrates how large cross-border banks can intermediate climate capital from developed financial hubs into high growth emerging markets. For investors, policymakers and climate negotiators, the transaction raises a central question of the next decade: where should the next trillion in climate finance be deployed to achieve the greatest emissions and resilience outcomes.
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