Finance

Sweden’s Top Issuer of Green Bonds Opens the Door to Social Debt

Local governments in Sweden are responsible for providing health care, housing and education.Photographer: Mikael Sjoberg/Bloomberg

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By Frances Schwartzkopff

January 12, 2021 at 5:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The biggest issuer of green bonds in Sweden is now moving into social debt, a shift that may give the securities a stronger Nordic foothold.

Kommuninvest I Sverige AB, which sells AAA-rated debt on behalf of Sweden’s local governments, started lending money to projects that will ultimately back social bonds. Issuance will start once the portfolio is big enough, Bjorn Bergstrand, the head of sustainability at the lender, said in an interview.