Today, there are more than a hundred green bonds with an aggregated equivalent nominal amount of CHF 28 billion listed and/or admitted to trading on SIX Swiss Exchange, up from around sixty at the end of 2021. Approximately half of these green bonds are from Swiss issuers, and 91% are denominated in Swiss Francs. Main issuers are banks (36% of the green bond issuances), real estate companies (16%), sovereigns, cantons, provinces and cities (12%), transportation companies (9%) and supranational bodies (6%).
"The appetite for green bonds has grown exponentially in recent years. Their proceeds are being used for green or climate-related purposes. The reason for the rise is that investors are increasingly taking ESG (environmental, social, governance) factors into account when putting together their portfolios," emphasizes Christian Reuss, Head SIX Swiss Exchange. On a global level, green bonds worth more than USD 2.3 trillion have been issued to date, according to the Climate Bonds Initiative. "Switzerland is no exception. The green bond market here has grown strongly over the past twelve months," Reuss adds.
SIX automatically flags bonds on its website that are included in the Climate Bonds Initiative's Green Bond Database and comply with the Green Bond Principles of the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) headquartered in Zurich - the world's leading voluntary green bond framework. This designation helps investors by allowing them to quickly get an overview of green bonds in the Swiss market without having to review individual securities.
More information on green bonds and other forms of sustainable bonds at SIX.