Meridian Energy
Meridian rolls out all-green financing strategy
Meridian Energy became the latest New Zealand corporate issuer to certify its entire debt programme under environmental criteria, with the 26 August launch of its green financing programme. All Meridian’s debt instruments – a book totalling NZ$1.8 billion (US$1.2 billion) – are covered by the programme, which means its existing and, potentially, future domestic and US private placement issuance is now in green-bond format.
Retail market continues to provide the baseline for New Zealand corporate issuance
A run of supply in March reveals a robust demand picture for rated and unrated corporate credits in New Zealand’s retail bond market – despite the rise of appealing issuance options elsewhere. The market has remained consistent through various stages of the rates cycle and users say there is little reason to anticipate a change.
Turning intent into action
In November 2022, KangaNews and Westpac hosted the New Zealand Sustainable Finance Summit as an in-person event in Auckland, for the first time since 2020. Speakers discussed the pressing need to turn good intentions and high-level thought into action on climate transition.
Australasian sustainable finance reaching the tipping point
Sustainability can no longer be ignored by capital-market practitioners – according to participants at a February roundtable discussion hosted by KangaNews, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Westpac Institutional Bank. Deal flow is likely to increase as a result, but the consequences are vastly wider and deeper.
A sustainable market takes shape in New Zealand
New Zealand's green, social and sustainability (GSS) bond market grew substantially in 2019 but is still concentrated around a fw repeat issuers. At the KangaNews-Westpac New Zealand Sustainable Finance Summit in Auckland in November 2019, market participants discussed developments in the GSS market and the wider application of sustainability.