Reports
Finance & Economics
This report represents the research and views of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of the Center on Global Energy Policy. The piece may be subject to further revision. Contributions to SIPA for the benefit of CGEP are general use gifts, which gives the Center discretion in how it allocates these funds. More information is available at https://energypolicy.columbia.edu/about/partners. Rare cases of sponsored projects are clearly indicated. For a full list of financial supporters of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA, please visit our website at https://www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/partners. See below a list of members that are currently in CGEP’s Visionary Annual Circle.
(This list is updated periodically)
Air Products
Anonymous
Jay Bernstein
Breakthrough Energy LLC
Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Ray Rothrock
Kimberly and Scott Sheffield
Tellurian Inc.
A significant gap exists globally between the financing needed and the current level of spending to meet net-zero goals. The problem is particularly acute for emerging market and developing economies (EMDE), as they face higher spending on the energy transition as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) and are likely to be affected more severely by climate change than advanced economies. Thematic bonds that target specific investment themes, including climate change mitigation, can help narrow the financing gap, but EMDE’s share of the global thematic bond market remains small.
This report explains the urgency of raising financing for EMDE to address climate change and discusses the evolution of thematic bonds. It finds that the asset class has the potential to achieve significant further growth. As part of Columbia University’s Financing the Energy Transition initiative, it offers policy recommendations to governments and development banks interested in increasing thematic bond issuances from these countries. Options to consider include addressing local currency risk using structured finance, adapting institutional frameworks such as Green Bond Principles (GBP) to national contexts, addressing accessibility issues in domestic markets, and providing tax incentives.
Other key takeaways from the report include the following:
National oil companies (NOCs) produce about half of the world’s oil and own the bulk of oil and gas reserves. They are also large issuers of bonds held by international financial institutions. Their ESG risks should be a matter of great concern.
Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries are among the most vulnerable in the world to climate change, experiencing at least one extreme weather-related event per country, on average, every three years over the past two decades.
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandates the blending of biofuels into the US transportation fuel mix.