Certifying the 'Climate' in Climate Bonds

Abstract

The market for climate bonds is expanding quickly, but the continued vitality of the market will depend in large part of the quality of the reviews and assurances provided by climate bond verifiers, who assure that the bond proceeds will be used to fund climate-related projects. The Climate Bond Initiative (CBI), a self-regulatory organization that promotes the climate bond market, employs an existing regulatory framework (ISAE 3000) to manage potential conflicts of interest. However, additional steps may help the climate verification market develop and maintain credibility. Because CBI has adopted an issuer-pays model, CBI should consider encouraging the use of entity forms by climate verifiers that either limit profit incentives (such as mutual, cooperatives and non-profits) or that encourage attentive risk management (such as general partnerships).

As the climate verification market matures and an oligopoly of verifiers emerges, CBI should consider allowing investors and issuers to pursue claims against climate verifiers for poor quality verifications.

Keywords: climate finance, climate bonds, green bonds, sovereign bonds

JEL Classification: K2, K22, K33