In July, KangaNews and Westpac Institutional Bank gathered Australia’s biggest sovereign and semi-government issuers to discuss their funding needs and strategies. Semi-government spreads have risen and funding tasks remain high, but issuers have plenty of options.

Clearer policy direction, the development and implementation of a local taxonomy and mandatory climate reporting, and the impending inevitability of energy transition seem set to turbo charge the Australian sustainable finance market. Speakers at the KangaNews Sustainable Debt Summit in Sydney on 19 March discussed the economic and market impact of this inflection point.

Green, social and sustainability bonds have become a consistent component of high-grade Australian dollar issuance. While labelled deals still deliver a relatively small proportion of aggregate supply, these issuers have led the evolution of the market and, in particular, the drive toward a holistic understanding of borrowers’ sustainability credentials.

A flurry of syndicated issuance from the semi-government sector in May exhibited well diversified demand domestically and offshore, dealers say. A preceding adjustment wider in semi-government spreads attracted among the highest offshore participation the sector has witnessed in recent years.