E.ON Spells Out Green Bond Plan Amid Clamor for Ethical Debt
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Green bonds to cover more than 50% of annual funding needs
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European companies are issuing green bonds at record pace
E.ON SE will strive to cover more than half of its annual financing requirements with green bonds as it taps booming demand from investors for forms of debt that can help protect the environment.
The German utility on Monday unveiled its new framework for issuing green bonds, it said in a statement. The plan will allow investors to back sustainable projects and help make E.ON’s energy systems cleaner and smarter, the firm said.
“Over the past years, E.ON has established green financing as a core element in its funding strategy,” Chief Financial Officer Marc Spieker said in the statement. “We expect to cover more than 50% of our annual funding requirements with green bonds going forward.”
Increasing numbers of borrowers are offering green bonds to meet investor hunger for ethically-focused debt while burnishing their own credentials as responsible corporate citizens.
Sales of the debt in the shared currency have reached almost 17 billion euros ($20.5 billion) so far this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. E.ON raised 2 billion euros with its last green bond sale last May.
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EON’s green bond plan is the first corporate framework to align fully with the ICMA Green Bond Principles Standard and the European Union’s Taxonomy, or classifications for sustainable activities, the firm said.
The company made its debut in the green bond market in 2019 and already has six outstanding notes under the format. E.ON published its first green bond framework two years ago when it spelled out plans to finance renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean transportation projects.
