Structural Loopholes in Sustainability-Linked Bonds

Sustainability-Linked Bonds-an innovative debt product that incorporates incentivized sustainability targets-are becoming increasingly popular to encourage issuers to improve their sustainability performance. However, existing Sustainability-Linked Bond structures allow issuers to weaken the link be...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ul Haq, Imtiaz
Other Authors: Doumbia, Djeneba
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Washington, D.C The World Bank 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:
Collection: World Bank E-Library Archive - Collection details see MPG.ReNa
LEADER 02448nmm a2200397 u 4500
001 EB002177664
003 EBX01000000000000001315198
005 00000000000000.0
007 cr|||||||||||||||||||||
008 231006 ||| eng
100 1 |a Ul Haq, Imtiaz 
245 0 0 |a Structural Loopholes in Sustainability-Linked Bonds  |h Elektronische Ressource  |c Imtiaz Ul Haq 
260 |a Washington, D.C  |b The World Bank  |c 2022 
300 |a 29 pages 
653 |a Securities Markets Policy and Regulation 
653 |a Greenwashing 
653 |a Sustainability-Linked Bonds 
653 |a Environment 
653 |a Emerging Markets 
653 |a International Financial Markets 
653 |a Late Date Penalty 
653 |a Bonds 
653 |a Debt Markets 
653 |a Private Sector Development 
653 |a Bond Grade Issuers 
653 |a Finance and Financial Sector Development 
653 |a Sustainability Performance Targets 
653 |a Green Issues 
653 |a Private Sector Sustainability 
700 1 |a Doumbia, Djeneba 
041 0 7 |a eng  |2 ISO 639-2 
989 |b WOBA  |a World Bank E-Library Archive 
028 5 0 |a 10.1596/1813-9450-10200 
856 4 0 |u http://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/book/10.1596/1813-9450-10200  |x Verlag  |3 Volltext 
082 0 |a 330 
520 |a Sustainability-Linked Bonds-an innovative debt product that incorporates incentivized sustainability targets-are becoming increasingly popular to encourage issuers to improve their sustainability performance. However, existing Sustainability-Linked Bond structures allow issuers to weaken the link between sustainability and financial outcomes, rendering Sustainability-Linked Bonds less effective. This paper examines two potential structural loopholes on this front: late target dates and call options. The results show that Sustainability-Linked Bonds with coupon step-up penalties, which constitute the majority and benefit most from such features, are more likely to have later target dates and call options embedded. Larger penalties are associated with a greater likelihood of late target dates but not call options, which instead tend to be favored primarily by speculative grade issuers. The paper also provides evidence that issuers with high carbon dioxide emissions are more likely to resort to such structural loopholes. These findings suggest that Sustainability-Linked Bonds, despite incentivized targets, may be prone to greenwashing