This website collects cookies to deliver better user experience. Cookie Policy
Accept
Sign In
The Wall Street Publication
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Reading: Green Investing Looks to Clean Up the Maritime Industry
Share
The Wall Street PublicationThe Wall Street Publication
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.
The Wall Street Publication > Blog > Markets > Green Investing Looks to Clean Up the Maritime Industry
Markets

Green Investing Looks to Clean Up the Maritime Industry

Editorial Board Published October 18, 2021
Share
Green Investing Looks to Clean Up the Maritime Industry
SHARE

First bonds went green. Now they are going blue.

Contents
Newsletter Sign-upMarketsBlue debt is the latest version of investments known as green bonds. The Seaspan Thames awaited unloading at Seattle’s port in April.

Seaspan Corp. , the world’s largest containership lessor by cargo-carrying capacity, sold nearly $1 billion of so-called blue bonds earlier this year that sought to entice new investors by promising to fund vessels that will lower emissions and pollution at sea.

The sale illustrates how the craze for sustainable investing is extending to the world’s oceans. The debt is the latest iteration of investments known as green bonds, which aim to fight climate change and spur the transition away from fossil fuels by reducing the cost of financing such projects.

Seaspan, which has an operating fleet of 132 vessels, initially tapped asset managers for $500 million of bonds in July to pay for ships that reduce carbon emissions—the company’s first U.S. blue bond. The sale attracted more investors than anticipated, allowing the company to increase its junk-rated offering to a total of $750 million eight-year notes with an annual yield of 5.5%.

The deal demonstrates how investors’ demand for environmentally friendly debt has grown in recent years, part of Wall Street’s rush into selling investments that consider environmental, social and governance, or ESG, factors. The Seychelles archipelago and World Bank pioneered the first blue bond in 2018, raising $15 million. On Friday, BNP Paribas SA said it coordinated a blue bond for Bank of China worth $942.5 million.


Newsletter Sign-up

Markets

A pre-markets primer packed with news, trends and ideas. Plus, up-to-the-minute market data.


Green bonds were first issued about a decade ago by highly rated borrowers committing to long-term sustainability targets. Now Wall Street is selling a record amount of the debt. Total issuance of green bonds in 2021 has jumped to more than $350 billion, according to data from the Climate Bonds Initiative, already surpassing 2020’s record total.

“We see branding a green bond blue as an effort to increase visibility on issues related to the maritime environment,” said Nicholas Pfaff, head of sustainable finance at the International Capital Market Association.

In theory, attracting more investors, including those seeking environmentally friendly assets, should drive down borrowing costs for companies going green. That is particularly useful in shipping, where the pandemic has slowed plans by members of the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations’ marine regulator, to improve fuel efficiency by 30% by 2025 and slash greenhouse-gas emissions in half by 2050 from 2008 levels.

“‘We see branding a green bond blue as an effort to increase visibility on issues related to the maritime environment.’”

— Nicholas Pfaff of the International Capital Market Association

One of the challenges facing the maritime industry is the lack of a low-emitting fuel that is commercially accessible at scale. While Seaspan operates ships traversing the globe, its clients ultimately decide which fuel to use. So the company is building vessels with tanks that can be swapped out to accommodate new fuel types—and pioneering designs that alter the shape, nose and propulsion systems of the vessels. Most of its new container ships operate on liquefied natural gas.

Bing Chen, president and chief executive officer of Atlas Corp. , Seaspan’s parent company, said Atlas was committed to growing a sustainable business in line with green initiatives.

Seaspan’s blue bonds abide by ICMA’s green-bond principles, a set of guidelines set by the European self-regulatory body. More than 95% of environmental finance deals in 2020 followed the trade association’s suggestions, according to an ICMA study conducted this year.

Some investors said green bonds and other types of sustainable-linked financing lack an enforceable rulebook to ensure that funds are being used as promised. Rating companies that certify green bonds answer to no official authority in the U.S. The fine print on some bonds stipulates that not all of the cash raised will necessarily be funneled into environmental projects.

Blue debt is the latest version of investments known as green bonds. The Seaspan Thames awaited unloading at Seattle’s port in April.

Photo: Paul Christian Gordon/Zuma Press

Companies that don’t fulfill their environmental promises or fail to meet targets likely face criticism and consequences the next time they try to borrow, some analysts said.

Sarah Peasey, director of European ESG investing at Neuberger Berman, said the asset manager chooses its green bonds selectively, avoiding things such as one-time deals that seem like the company is just looking to take advantage of the label.

“For us, it’s first and foremost about assessing the company at a sustainable level because the risk sits with the overall company, not the bond issue,” said Ms. Peasey.

Others worry that Wall Street will flood investors with too many niche products. The ICMA’s Mr. Pfaff said the Zurich trade-based association would like to limit the number of niche bonds.

“The whole success in ESG over the past two years has been creating broad and consistent categories,” he said.

Write to Julia-Ambra Verlaine at [email protected]

Copyright ©2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

TAGGED:MarketsPAIDWall Street Publication
Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Cars Are Making Money Like Homes—For Now Cars Are Making Money Like Homes—For Now
Next Article Lawmakers Question Whether Amazon Executives Misled Congress Lawmakers Question Whether Amazon Executives Misled Congress

Editor's Pick

Alyssa Farah Griffin: ‘The View’ Co-Host is Pregnant With Child #1!

Alyssa Farah Griffin: ‘The View’ Co-Host is Pregnant With Child #1!

Studying Time: 3 minutes The View co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin is pregnant! On ‘The View,’ Alyssa Farah Griffin breaks the…

By Editorial Board 3 Min Read
Mandy Moore ‘Unrecognizable’ to Followers After Debuting New Face
Mandy Moore ‘Unrecognizable’ to Followers After Debuting New Face

Studying Time: 4 minutes Mandy Moore has followers scratching their heads. This…

6 Min Read
Arturo Gatti Jr. Reason behind Dying: Son of Boxing Legend Passes Away at 17
Arturo Gatti Jr. Reason behind Dying: Son of Boxing Legend Passes Away at 17

Studying Time: 2 minutes Aruturo Gatti Jr. — an aspiring boxer and…

3 Min Read

Oponion

Trump simply deployed troops to California—the place my son is within the Nationwide Guard

Trump simply deployed troops to California—the place my son is within the Nationwide Guard

I served within the U.S. Military 36 years in the…

June 11, 2025

Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 battle predictions, undercard, odds, begin time, preview, the place to look at

Getting Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol…

February 22, 2025

Pricey Abby: How ought to I warn them about what’s taking place within the breakroom?

DEAR ABBY: The ground I work…

May 31, 2025

Inflation ticked barely greater in April as tariff affect looms

'Making Cash' host Charles Payne discusses…

May 13, 2025

Louvre places the give attention to Watteau’s enigmatic “Pierrot”

From October sixteenth, 2024 to  February…

October 20, 2024

You Might Also Like

ETF chief board dominated by nimble funds
Markets

ETF chief board dominated by nimble funds

VistaShares CEO Adam Patti breaks down ETFs that mimic the commerce methods of Invoice Ackman and Warren Buffett on 'The…

4 Min Read
JPMorgan Chase launches .5 trillion plan to bolster US financial and nationwide safety
Markets

JPMorgan Chase launches $1.5 trillion plan to bolster US financial and nationwide safety

JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon talks federal spending, the state of markets, billion-dollar tech investments, commerce tensions, nationwide…

4 Min Read
Crypto massacre wipes out billions, however indicators of stabilization emerge
Markets

Crypto massacre wipes out billions, however indicators of stabilization emerge

Terry Duffy, CME Group chairman and CEO, weighs in because the cryptocurrency buying and selling platform Coinbase misplaced half its…

4 Min Read
Crypto dealer discovered useless in Lamborghini in Kyiv as market plunges
Markets

Crypto dealer discovered useless in Lamborghini in Kyiv as market plunges

Nexo co-founder and managing companion Antoni Trenchev discusses the cryptocurrency business on ‘Making Money with Charles Payne.’ This story discusses…

3 Min Read
The Wall Street Publication

About Us

The Wall Street Publication, a distinguished part of the Enspirers News Group, stands as a beacon of excellence in journalism. Committed to delivering unfiltered global news, we pride ourselves on our trusted coverage of Politics, Business, Technology, and more.

Company

  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability

Term of Use

  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices

© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?