UNICREDIT LEADS BLOOMBERG LEAGUE TABLE FOR GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY LINKED LOANS

Sustainability linked loans are any type of loan instrument that incentivises the borrower’s achievement of ambitious, predetermined sustainability performance objectives. The borrower’s accomplishments are measured using specific targets including external ratings which assess improvements in the borrower’s sustainability profile.

Commenting on the achievement, Antonio Keglevich, Head of Sustainable Finance Advisory for UniCredit Corporate and Investment Banking, said: “We are determined to play an important role in supporting our customers’ transition to a more sustainable economy. The majority of UniCredit’s clients have continuously worked on the improvement of their environmental and social footprint and the pandemic seems to have had little impact on investor demand for ESG issuances, which remains strong. Principles continue to govern investment decisions with companies and investors keen to do good with their capital and addressing today’s socioeconomic crisis gives them an opportunity to do exactly that”.

The sustainability linked loan markets have seen substantial growth in recent years and UniCredit expects to see that continue in 2020. The total volume of green loans and sustainability linked loans amounted to $74.8 billion through September.

UniCredit is committed to supporting its clients in the transition to a more sustainable economy and through its Sustainable Finance Advisory Team advises customers on all aspects of ESG financing solutions as well as brown-to-green transition strategies, facilitating their access to capital markets and to Europe’s sustainable finance market.

In the ESG-linked loan market UniCredit has structured and arranged several debut transactions in different jurisdictions, with utilities, consumer goods and industrial groups where companies in Germany, Spain and France have been the most active borrowers.