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Purpose: Green sukuk (GS) is an emerging financial tool that has gained momentum in recent years owing to increased attention being given to Islamic finance, socially responsible investing (SRI) and sustainability agendas. Yet, GS studies are fragmented, dispersed and lack comprehensive reviews. As a response to this gap in academia, this paper aims to synthesize the knowledge on GS into thematic clusters, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the subject and offering guidelines for future research. Design/methodology/approach: This study implemented a systematic literature review approach to analyse studies on GS that were published prior to and including June 2023. The PRISMA 2020 protocol was used in the sample selection process. A total of 62 peer-reviewed journal articles from six databases were identified and categorized into various themes. Findings: The results suggest that previous research has predominantly focused on the areas of GS advantages, drivers, market development and potential sectors, along with challenges and recommendations to improve the market. However, it was found that some other aspects, including GS pricing, performance and purchasing intention, require further research attention. The analysis also indicated that the use of theories in the GS context was limited, with only five theories employed in just four out of the 62 articles examined. Moreover, this paper's findings revealed that the studies employing quantitative and empirical analysis methods were limited to four articles. Geographically, most of the studies were conducted in Indonesia and Malaysia, while other countries with high-potential markets (e.g. GCC) had limited GS practices and studies. Practical implications: The results of this study have several practical implications. For investors, a review of GS will provide greater insight into the understanding of the GS market, helping them make better investment decisions. For policymakers, this paper empowers them with the knowledge to make informed decisions regarding GS markets by highlighting key recommendations identified in the literature. Finally, the proposed guidelines can be used in future research. Originality/value: While Green Bonds have received significant attention, there is a dearth of research on GS and those that exist are fragmented. A systematic literature review is necessary to identify knowledge gaps for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green bonds are relatively new in the financial market compared to other financial securities but are useful in financing environmentally friendly projects. Just like other financial securities, green bonds are affected by various factors, such as economic policy uncertainty. Our aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic literature review of the impact of economic policy uncertainty on green bonds. We sought to do a thorough analysis of the existing literature on the assessment of the impact of economic policy uncertainty on green bonds and the techniques used in assessing the impact. Our findings showed that economic policy uncertainty had a strong impact on the green bond, with its intensity varying by location. This impact tended to be more pronounced in periods of heightened uncertainty. Also, our findings highlighted that the assessment of the impact of economic policy uncertainty on green bonds gained popularity in 2019, with China emerging as a prominent contributor. However, other countries, such as Finland, even though they had few published papers, their citations signified the production of quality papers in this field. Additionally, we found that the application of the quantile analysis method was utilized by many recent studies, which signified its importance in this field. Our findings highlighted the importance of considering appropriate techniques in assessing the impact of economic policy uncertainty on green bonds while taking into account the paper quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green bonds, a new green financial instrument, encourage enterprises to achieve high-quality development through green technology innovation. However, a lack of research is currently being conducted into the effect of green bond issuance in China. Can green bonds effectively empower enterprises to green innovation? What is the underlying mechanism? In the context of carbon-neutral strategies, it is significant to answer these questions scientifically. This paper uses a quasi-natural experiment of the launch of the green bond market in China in 2016 to conduct empirical studies based on the panel data of 1 558 non-financial Chinese-listed enterprises from 2015 to 2020 with the multi-period difference-in-difference model. The results show that ① issuing green bonds can significantly empower enterprises' green technology innovation. The empowering effect is mainly for green utility patents rather than green invention patents. This result remains after dynamic heterogeneity analysis, placebo test, and other tests. In addition, the effect has a lag. ② Heterogeneity tests show that this empowerment effect varies across enterprises with different property rights, industries, and regions. ③ In terms of the mechanism of action, green bonds can enhance enterprises' ability to innovate green technology by increasing the proportion of long-term loans and improving their debt structure. This paper broadens the relevant literature on the economic consequences of green bonds and the influencing factors of enterprises' green technology innovation and provides policy suggestions for further improving the analysis of green bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article primally explores the short-term fluctuation and long-term implications of the international Bitcoin price (BP) on the Chinese green bond (GB) market, within the sample period of 2014:M10-2023:M07. Bitcoin is the most important cryptocurrency and has a carbon-intensive feature, and its price suffers from great volatility and is closely related to the green finance market. Meanwhile, although China is the largest bitcoin mining state, it is pursuing a dual carbon target, which promotes its green bond market's development. Thus, it is valuable to investigate the influence of BP on GBs in China. Based on the quantile autoregressive distributed lag approach, this paper indicates that the positive and negative impacts of BP on the GB market are significant in the long-term but not apparent in the short-term. These results emphasize the importance for market participants to obtain a better understanding of how BP affects GB under various market circumstances. Implementing specific policies, such as regulatory mechanisms for Bitcoin trade, market-oriented reform for the bond market, and information disclosure, can alleviate shocks from BP and accelerate the development of the GB market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a novel financial instrument, green bonds require further research to understand their causal effects and theoretical mechanisms on sustainable development fully. This paper constructs a theoretical model that characterizes the issuance of green bonds as the extent to which social planners prioritize environmental benefits in bond markets. In this model, we define sustainable development as the geometric mean of environmental factor inputs and final production output. By maximizing consumer utility, this model elucidates the direct and non-linear relationship between green bonds and sustainable development. The paper empirically investigates this proposition using data from 19 European countries between 2018 and 2022. The results indicate that: (1) Green bonds significantly promote sustainable development. This financial instrument, designed to raise funds for environmental projects, can indeed promote sustainable development through clean and green resource allocation. (2) The promotional effect of green bonds on sustainable development increases significantly with improvements in innovation efficiency, industrialization rates, and savings rates. This finding elaborates on the conditions under which the positive impact of green bonds on sustainable development is enhanced. (3) Green bonds only promote sustainable development when a country's factor endowment structure reaches a specific threshold. Beyond this threshold, as the factor endowment structure becomes very high, the country's sustainable development gains sufficient momentum, diminishing the role of green bonds. This finding suggests that the positive impact of green bonds on sustainable development is contingent upon certain properties reflecting the economic basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on the hands-on experience of HSBC in implementing distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based solutions through building its own proprietary tokenisation platform, HSBC Orion, and participating in various industry initiatives such the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)'s inaugural tokenised green bond issuance. The paper highlights key considerations for building DLT-based solutions and provides a view of the future state of digital assets as the ecosystem continues to grow and evolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on the hands-on experience of HSBC in implementing distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based solutions through building its own proprietary tokenisation platform, HSBC Orion, and participating in various industry initiatives such the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)'s inaugural tokenised green bond issuance. The paper highlights key considerations for building DLT-based solutions and provides a view of the future state of digital assets as the ecosystem continues to grow and evolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the Canadian financial sector's reaction to opportunities and risks created by the green bond market in a low-carbon and climate-resilient (LCR) economy. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used a concurrent mixed methodological approach that undertakes an online survey and semistructured interviews with critical green bond market stakeholders. Findings: The most significant market driver in Canada is the reputational benefit for stakeholders, i.e. its ability to meet the high demand for sustainable finance and the marketing potential of its green credentials. The major market barriers are transactional costs, i.e. additional tracking required for reporting purposes, lack of market liquidity and identification of environmental impact or additionality. Canadian green bonds are also more likely to be evaluated on their green impact than their global market peers. Research limitations/implications: Limitations of this study include its focus on Canada, which may exclude or not apply to drivers and barriers in other green bond markets. Practical implications: The paper helps create an accounting-based conceptual framework for key motivations and barriers that affect financial decision-making regarding green bonds. Social implications: The authors identify economic and policy-related barriers and drivers for green bonds, addressing the financing gap for the LCR economy. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to identify and compare Canadian green bond market drivers and barriers and to examine relevant stakeholder- and policy-related approaches that can be targeted to scale this market effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the quantile-specific short- and long-term effects of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on the efficiency of the green bond market. Design/methodology/approach: This study examines the long-term cointegration relationship and the short-term fluctuation relationship of EPU, WTI crude oil price (WTI) and European Union Allowances price (EUA) with the green bond market efficiency (GBE) using the quantile autoregressive distributed lag method. Additionally, the authors analyze the differences before and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings: EPU has a significant positive impact on the GBE before the outbreak. However, during the crisis period, the impact of EPU and WTI was greatly weakened, whereas the impact of EUA was strengthened. Practical implications: This paper demonstrates the dynamics of GBE and its influencing factors under different periods. The findings provide insights for market participants and policymakers to gain a clearer understanding of the green bond market. Originality/value: This paper extends the study of green bonds by quantifying the GBE and elucidating the nonlinear relationship between efficiency and independent variables at different quantiles over different periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the issuing pricing character of green bonds with the evidence from China and further analyzes the reason why green factor affects bond issuing pricing by analyzing credit rating's intermediary effect and exploring the mediating of policy incentives and third-party green certification. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis is conducted to analyze how green factor impacts on bond issuing pricing at different quantiles and for companies in different industries or with different ownership. The findings include: (1) Green factor generally reduces the issuance interest rate of green bonds, though this effect is not significant at the low quantiles or at the early development stage. (2) Green factor's impact on bond issuing pricing occurs partly by improving bond credit rating, fully by this way for companies in the construction industry, but directly for companies in other industries. (3) For non-state-owned companies, green factor has direct effect on bond issuing pricing, but this effect is not significant for state-owned companies. (4) Third-party green certification and incentive policies enhance the reducing effect of green factor on the issuance interest rate. This study provides a theoretical reference for environment-friendly investors, financiers with green projects and the regulators caring about green finance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the green bond market expands, an increasing number of Green Bond External Reviewers (hereafter 'GBER' or 'GBERs') have gained momentum among investors and financial regulators. A GBER enhances the credibility of green bonds and prevents greenwashing risk in the green bond market by reducing the information asymmetry between issuers and investors. China is the second largest issuer of green bonds in the world. The current Chinese GBER legal framework is insufficient to ensure green bond market sustainability. Our purpose in this paper is to analyze the inadequacies of the Chinese GBER regulatory framework and to provide suggestions for overcoming the potential challenges within it. A textual analysis of primary legal sources and secondary academic sources serves as the main research methodology in this study. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of China's GBER regulatory framework and addresses its shortcomings and weaknesses. Furthermore, given the evolving stage of the Chinese green bond market, this paper analyzes potential challenges for GBERs and proposes some suggestions to ensure high-quality reviews by GBERs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the relationship between sustainable investments and a series of uncertainties from January 2014 to December 2021, including many economic and political turbulences and the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use Rényi's transfer entropy method, a nonparametric flexible tool that considers both the center distribution and lower quantiles, capturing extreme rare events that give additional insights to analysis. Findings: The authors' results indicate significant bidirectional information transmissions between the crude oil volatility and sustainability indices. The authors report information flows between the cryptocurrency uncertainty and sustainability indices considering tail events. The results are essential for market participants making decisions during turbulent times. Originality/value: This paper is carried out for a variety of uncertainty measures and environmental, social and governance (ESG) portfolios of both developed and developing markets. It adds to literature in terms of methodology used. Rényi's transfer entropy methodology is first used to measure the relationship between uncertainties and ESG investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the dynamic linkages among economic policy uncertainty (EPU), the green bond market, the carbon market, and the macroeconomy using the time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model with monthly data spanning from January 2016 to December 2021. Additionally, it assesses the robustness and accuracy of the empirical results through the Bayesian vector autoregressive (BVAR) model. The findings indicate that EPU negatively affects the green bond market in the short term but has a positive impact in the medium and long term. Conversely, EPU has a positive impact on the carbon market in the short term but a negative impact in the medium and long term. Furthermore, the green bond market negatively influences the carbon market in both the short and medium to long term. These results suggest that emerging markets, such as the green bond and carbon markets, are influenced by EPU. The adverse impact of the green bond market on the carbon market, however, contributes to expediting China's attainment of its low-carbon objectives. Appropriate economic policies can play a vital role in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy. The study also reveals that the US-China trade war has expedited the development of green capital markets in China, despite its impact on the green economic transition in the country. These findings provide insights for the government and investors to formulate suitable strategies for risk mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper utilizes a climate justice perspective to examine municipal green bonds (MGBs), a green-labelled debt instrument issued by subnational governmental entities, such as municipalities or cities, that determines financial, social and environmental redistributions in the context of climate change. This analysis focuses on the origins and financial construction of MGBs as the "descendant" of US municipal bonds and provides data on their recent diffusion in Africa and Latin America. It then draws connections with the lessons learned from critical analyses of US municipal bonds. The case study section explores one wastewater MGB of San Francisco (California) and creates material and theoretical connections with MGBs issued to finance water infrastructure in Mexico City (Mexico) and Cape Town (South Africa). The article concludes that the analysis and implementation of municipal green bonds needs a climate justice approach in order to recognize and address the production and reproduction of climate injustices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to analyze the importance of finance for climate change. Design/methodology/approach: The paper attempts to answer the question: what is the meaning of finance in the processes related to environmental protection, what is the development trend in the field of the so-called instruments of green finance and what are the purposes of the particular instruments. The following research methods were used: literature review, desk research (UNCTAD reports, GIIN, Sustainable Debt, Green Finance in Poland,) and deductive reasoning. Findings: The market for green finance instruments is growing rapidly. For both green bonds and sustainable funds and impact investments, the growth rate in the number and value of instruments has been the highest in recent years. The analysis of investment directions indicates that they are related to activities concerning environmental protection or other aspects of sustainable development. Practical implications: The importance and need for creating conditions (legislative, technical, educational) for the development of green finance instrument market was indicated. Originality/value: The paper offers cognitive value as it contributes to the body of knowledge regarding the relevance of green in addressing climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imperative to achieve sustainable development in the face of accelerating urbanization has prompted an urgent re-evaluation of the role that municipalities play in driving environmentally conscious growth. This research paper delves into the critical nexus between municipalities and sustainable development in India, with a specific focus on the innovative financial instrument of green bonds. The study employs a comprehensive review of utility of Green Bonds in India and Internationally. Through this methodology, the paper seeks to shed light on the efficacy of green bonds in augmenting municipal initiatives towards sustainable urbanization. The findings of this research provide nuanced insights into the multifaceted roles that municipalities undertake in advancing sustainable development agendas. By analyzing the implementation of green bonds by municipalities in India and International countries, the paper discerns trends in the utilization of green finance for eco-centric urban projects. Moreover, it scrutinizes the influence of green bond proceeds on key sustainability indicators, such as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, improved waste management, and enhanced green infrastructure. It also examines potential policy recommendations to overcome these impediments, thereby providing a roadmap for municipalities to more effectively leverage green bonds as a financial tool for sustainable urban development. In conclusion, this research contributes a comprehensive understanding of the pivotal role that municipalities play in advancing sustainable development and underscores the potential of green bonds as a transformative financial instrument in this endeavor. By providing review based in-depth research and practical insights, this paper offers valuable guidance for policymakers, urban planners, and financial institutions seeking to accelerate the transition towards more environmentally sustainable and resilient cities in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green bond market has significantly improved in recent years thanks to the development of financial instruments and the rising climate change concerns. Given this backdrop, this paper investigates the effects of returns in different financial markets, i.e. the United States Treasury Bonds, the Standard & Poor's stock market, the United States Dollar, Gold, Crude Oil, and Bitcoin on the Green Bond returns (the Standard & Poor's Green Bond Index) from September 17, 2014, to September 1, 2022. The results from the robust linear and machine learning estimators indicate that the returns of the United States Treasury Bonds and the United States Dollar are negatively related to the Green Bond returns. Meanwhile, Gold returns positively affect Green Bond returns. The quantile regression estimations of Machado–Santos Silva also show that these findings are valid in different quantiles. The paper also discusses policy implications related to climate change and the development of financial instruments to promote green investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to effectively reduce CO2 emissions by examining the impact of three distinct incentive and constraint policies on the quality of rating and certification information in China's green bond issuance market. To accomplish this, the government has implemented incentives, while regulators have introduced constraints to curb the spread of inflated rating and certification information. We build on the integrated rating and certification regulation mechanism by presenting a two-stage Stackelberg game model that involves four key participants: the China Securities Regulatory Commission, local governments, green evaluation and certification agencies, and credit rating agencies. We incorporate environmental effects indicators into the expected utility of rating and certification agencies to investigate the equilibrium conditions under three policy scenarios: a single financial incentive policy, a single regulatory constraint policy, and a combined incentive and constraint policy. The paper employs Stackelberg game theory to analyze how different policies mitigate the occurrence of "inflated" ratings and "greenwashing" in certifications. Numerical analysis is conducted to validate the theoretical findings. Moreover, we assess the impact of these policies on the quality of rating and evaluation information, using data from China's green bond issuance market between 2016 and 2021. Our research offers valuable management insights and regulatory recommendations for both regulators and local governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the issuance and growth of transition and sustainabilitylinked bonds into the green market segment normally reserved for green bonds between 2018 and 2021. Using a performative economics and STS approach we examine how key terms within environmental political discourse - transition, green, sustainability - have been incorporated into the operation of investment markets, and given specific, if unstable and contested, technico-economic forms. Using event ethnography, industry literature and primary interviews, we examine how classification works as a market device, by exploring why the newer 'transition bond' was favoured by some investors but not others in comparison to green and sustainability bonds. We argue that the credibility of different green labelled products is being mediated by uneven references to scientific evidence, in the context of competing marketization strategies, which have world-making effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the dynamic evolution and volatility spillovers between China's green bond market and conventional financial markets (bond, stock, commodity, and foreign exchange markets) using time and frequency connectedness measures. The empirical findings are as follows: firstly, there is a significant volatility spillover effect between the green bond market and other traditional financial markets, with the spillover effect showing clear time‐varying characteristics. The total spillover effects among all markets increase notably during extreme market conditions. Secondly, the green bond market primarily acts as a net risk spillover transmitter in most periods. Thirdly, compared to the stock, foreign exchange, and commodity markets, the green bond market has a more significant spillover effect on the traditional fixed‐income market. Finally, the volatility spillover effect of the green bond market on other markets exhibits a time‐frequency evolution, predominantly driven by short‐term factors. However, as market maturity increases, the influencing factors of the spillover effect gradually shift from short‐term to medium and long‐term factors. These findings offer insights for portfolio and risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores why and how green bond investors apply environmental and financial morality. It analyses the coproduction of environmental and financial values in green bond markets using digital ethnography, industry literature and interviews with investors during 2019–2022. It analyses how green bond investors explain and narrate their diverse market practices in the balancing of financial and ethical returns, converging in an unstable space of mutual coproduction. The calculative practices and signalling of green virtue are performed in little machines of ethical inscription but are rarely either empirically validated or explicitly discussed. The green bond universe might appear stable, but its foundations are forged in long-standing intersectional assumptions, as it relies on, and reproduces, the historical structures of racial capitalism. The market practices described here are designed to help green bonds become a mainstream asset class. However, these are reproducing older discursive tropes and growth is elusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on sovereign green bonds issued in Europe. By issuing green bonds, European governments commit themselves to realizing environmentally friendly projects and encourage other entities, including private-sector ones, to do the same, thus increasing further domestic investments in addressing climate change. However, considering that governments could pursue their sustainable goals by also issuing conventional bonds, this begs the question of why governments should prefer green bonds. A dataset of European sovereign green bonds was retrieved from the Bloomberg Fixed Income database to answer this question. The data cover all European sovereign green bonds issued until the end of 2023. Quantitative analysis confirms the existence of a small green premium for the issuers, representing an incentive to increase the issuances of sovereign green bonds. Furthermore, the government's carbon emissions reduction, the power sector decarbonization, and good climate policies, measured by the Government Climate Risk Score, contribute to further reducing a country's climate risk and consequently the costs of the issuance, thus triggering a virtuous circle which could, in turn, accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions. Despite these benefits, hurdles still exist, and have curbed the development of the market. Examples include divergence between the use of funds raised through green bonds, which should be earmarked exclusively for climate and environmental projects, and the fungibility requirements for proceeds from sovereign debt and fiscal revenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size of green bond market has been increasing rapidly since the Paris Agreement on climate change was adopted in 2015. This paper is an empirical study on the public companies that have financed greenfield projects through green bonds. The study is based on equity investor behavior following the news announcement of green bonds. An event study approach is applied to find out the impact on abnormal returns of stocks during the window period of the announcement day. The study supports that stock return behavior is positive, which is an indication that investors responded positively to the announcement of green bonds. Leverage analysis is also performed, and it is found that the financial leverage increased in the post-issue period of green bonds. It is an indication that the use of low-cost security in financing the greenfield projects is capable of maximizing shareholder returns, if the return on investment is more than the cost of green bonds. This paper adds to the existing literature as it focuses on the stock performance of public companies around green bond issuance announcement. Further, the analysis of financial leverage of the firms distinguishes this study from others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the environment and climate change on one hand and the financial system, financial regulation and monetary policy on the other is growing in importance. This paper examines the possible impact of the European Central Bank's monetary policy of quantitative easing on the environmental policy of the European Union. Using data from Climate Bonds Initiative, the paper analyses the variation in the amount of "green labelled bonds" issued in the individual member countries of the Eurozone areas, as a function of liquidity inducing monetary policy variables. The paper finds a positive and significant relationship between the two measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change. Climate and sustainability-linked bonds can provide funding to African governments and corporations for projects that help to mitigate climate change, combat biodiversity loss, and foster sustainable development. However, less than 0.3% of the global environmental, social, governance (ESG) bond issuance volume is devoted to projects in Africa. Based on the entire universe of 107 African ESG bonds from 42 governmental and corporate issuers over the period 2010–2023, this paper establishes that ESG bonds provide benefits to both issuers and investors in terms of lower spreads and volatility. Our econometric results highlight that greenwashing is a valid concern for investors in African ESG bonds and certification of ESG bonds makes a difference vis-à-vis the self-labeling of green bonds. Non-certified ESG bonds do not offer similar benefits compared to certified ones. Green macro-financial policy and suitable regulation to prevent greenwashing can foster African ESG-bond markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically assesses the performance of green bond indices and the causality of that performance using a range of financial and commodity data. We present new insights from the novel application of datasets, neural networks and performance measurements. We find that green bond indices do not outperform the market when factors beyond market return are considered. We find that Brent crude oil has the most significant effect on certain indices, a finding that contrasts with other studies on green bonds. A greater sensitivity to oil prices and global green equities also evinces a negative impact on a green bond index's ability to outperform the market. For the first time, a linear causal relationship is established between Title Transfer Facility (TTF) returns and green bond index returns. Additionally, a fundamental shift in causal relationships is observed over the COVID-19 period. In this way, we contribute to the literature on sustainable green bonds and the impact of COVID-19. These insights provide more clarity to market participants for navigating the uncertainties of both the global energy transition and the postpandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Value at Risk and Expected Shortfall are two traditional tools used to measure extreme risk in financial markets. However, there is little research on measuring extreme risk in emerging markets such as green bonds and clean energy. This paper uses both semi-parametric models with simultaneous excitation functions and traditional models to estimate extreme risk in SP500 Green Bond (GB) and Global Clean Energy (GCE), selecting Expected Shortfall (ES) and Value at Risk (VaR) as the indices of extreme risk. Then, the paper uses a breakpoint scan of the predictions of the different types of models. The results find that the green bond market was relatively stable while the global clean energy market experienced sharp fluctuations after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Representative models in GCE have at least two breakpoints, but those for GB have no breakpoints. The GARCH model with normal innovations performs the best among all target models, and the GARCH-FZ model fits the best among all semi-parametric candidates. Our research could help governments, companies, and investors with risk management and improve model accuracy and mechanisms for measuring extreme risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the impacts of green bond issuance on the environment while taking into account the moderating role of issuing countries' institutional quality. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on a longitudinal data set covering 171 countries and territories during 2007–2018. The authors rigorously account for endogeneity issues using two-stage least squares estimation and a set of instrumental variables for green bond issuance volume. Findings: The overall results confirm the positive environmental impacts of green bonds in reducing carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing renewable energy consumption rate and accelerating the progress towards sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, these effects are contingent upon the levels of institutional development of the issuing countries in a way that green bond issuance only benefits the environment when the institutional quality has reached a minimum level. Practical implications: The results provide important policy implications for countries in their efforts to prevent environmental degradation and achieve SDGs. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing a macro-level evaluation of the environmental impact of green bonds, hence, enabling policy implications to be drawn for countries to achieve their SDGs. The analysis is more comprehensive using a wide range of indicators for environmental performance. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is also one of the first attempts to examine the moderating effect of institutions on the environmental impact of green bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores which financial instruments have the highest potential to deliver the transition to a low-carbon economy in Romania, given the structure of the national economy. Based on a Scopus comprehensive query resulting in 364 analysed articles on green and sustainable finance in Romania, the paper fills a research gap by looking not only at stakeholders' perception of this emerging field in Romania or by describing different kinds of green financial instruments, but by analysing which instruments are most likely to have the highest leverage and impact to mobilize finance towards decarbonizing the local economy. The banking sector in Romania accounts for 75% of total financial system assets, total net assets in the Romanian banking sector amounting to approx. 140 bio. EUR and dwarfing the Stock Exchange, bonds, European Structural and Investment Funds, etc. While green bonds have seen double digit growths, green loans and other banking instruments (debt denial, etc.) have the highest potential to decarbonize the national economy most effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: One of the major negative effects of the Coronavirus outbreak worldwide has been reduced investment in green energy projects and energy efficiency. The main purpose of this paper is to study the role of green bond proposed by the World Bank in 2008, as a reliable instrument to enhance the capital flow in energy efficiency financing and to develop green energy resources during and post the current challenging global time. Design/methodology/approach: We model energy efficiency for 37 members of OECD through a panel data framework and quarterly data over 2007Q1–2020Q4. Findings: The major results reveal the positive impacts of issued green bonds and regulatory quality index on energy efficiency, while any increase in inflation rate and urbanization decelerates the progress of raising energy efficiency. Practical implications: As highlighted concluding remarks and policy implications, it can be expressed that the tool of green bond is a potential policy to drive-up energy efficiency financing and enhancing environmental quality during and post-COVID period. It is recommended to follow green bond policy with an efficient regulation framework and urbanization saving energy planning. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, although a few scholars have investigated the impacts of COVID-19 on green financing or examined the energy efficiency financing, the matter of modeling energy efficiency–green bond relationship has not been addressed by any academic study. The contributions of this paper to the existing literature are: (1) it is the first academic study to discover the relationship between energy efficiency and green bond in OECD countries, (2) since our empirical part provides estimation results based on quarterly data covering the year of 2019 and 2020, it may offer some new policy implications to enhance energy efficiency financing in and post-COVID period, (3) furthermore, we consider energy efficiency indicator (mix of industrial, residential, services and transport energy efficiency) as the dependent variable instead of using the simple energy intensity variable as a proxy for energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green finance initiatives have received global support in modern times, relatively in response to safeguard the environment and preserve natural resources through channelizing the investments to create a green economy. This paper attempts to evaluate and compare the green finance growth in green bond issuing nations across the world. This study also assesses the effect of green finance growth on the dependence of non-renewable energy resources especially fossil fuels that have been creating several environmental issues for the past years. This study develops a pressure-state-response framework to evaluate the comprehensive system of green finance growth that depicts the interaction of sub-aspects. We employ the entropy technique to calculate the weights at each level within the evaluation system. We also constructed empirical models to assess the relationship between green finance growth and dependence on fossil fuel consumption and found that there exists a negative relationship between the two. The results convey that proliferation of green finance instruments can reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and smoothen the transition towards a carbon negative world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green bond (GB) is a new financial product in the green finance field that has recently become a corporate social responsibility (CSR) tool for organizations. Previous studies show that high-CSR firms receive more trust from shareholders during a financial crisis. This paper aims to assess the stock performance of publicly listed Chinese companies that issued GBs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bond sample covers 2016–2019 and consists of 67 listed issuers. The paper uses the event study method based on the market and Fama-French (1993) three-factor models. Our results show that GB issuers exhibited significantly positive cumulative abnormal stock returns on the official announcement dates of the COVID-19 outbreak. The positive cumulative abnormal returns are mainly driven by non-financial GB issuers rather than financial GB issuers. The results reflect the attitudes of investors toward GB-issuing companies primarily in the context of the crisis and contribute to the development of green finance policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investing in green bonds has been recognized as a strategy that not only promotes environmental performance but also offers attractive investment returns. However, macroeconomic factors, such as geopolitical risk (GPR), climate policy uncertainty (CPU), and global economic policy uncertainty (GEPU), play a substantial role in shaping green bond returns. Using the returns of US green bonds as a proxy for the returns of green bonds, we argue in this paper that these heterogenous uncertainty measures might have asymmetric impacts on the returns of green bonds (GB). By employing monthly data from January 2016 to August 2022, we apply the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lags model (NARDL) to examine the asymmetric impact of these heterogenous uncertainty measures on the returns of GB. The NARDL findings reveal evidence of short-run asymmetric impacts of GPR, GEPU, and CPU on the returns of green bonds. In the long run, there is an asymmetric impact of GPR and CPU on the returns of GB. However, there is a symmetric impact of CPU on the returns of GB in the long run. Specifically, in the short run, we found that a positive CPU shock causes a decline in the returns of green bonds. A similar magnitude of negative CPU shock causes an increase in the returns of green bonds. Moreover, a positive shock to GPR increases the return of green bonds, while a comparable negative shock to GPR reduces the return of GB. Furthermore, only negative shocks to GEPU have an impact on GB returns in the short run. Specifically, a negative GEPU shock reduces GB returns. In the long term, the returns of GB are positively impacted by negative shocks in GPR and both positive and negative shocks in GEPU, whereas positive shocks in GPR affect the returns of GB negatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the long-run financial and environmental performance of corporate green bond issuers, worldwide. Design/methodology/approach: The data includes 259 corporate green bond issuers from 2013 to 2020. The authors adopt the matching approach, using the nearest neighbor method to select the control firms. The event-time approach is used to examine corporate green bond issuers' long-run stock market performance, and robustness tests are conducted using the calendar-time method. The authors examine green bond issuers' long-run environmental performance and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions using difference-in-differences estimations. Findings: In contrast with the earlier long-run event studies, our results reveal that multiple-time issuers, and issuers operating in industries where the natural environment is financially material, perform financially in the long term relative to the control firms. The authors also document that corporate green bond issuers reduce their CO2 emissions, and improve their resource use efficiency and environmental performance, in the long run. Originality/value: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that looks at the long-run effect of corporate green bond issuance on firms' stock market performance. It has the particularity to document that corporate green bond issuance is beneficial for investors and positively affects the environment. Our findings help us understand that firms do not issue green bonds for greenwashing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Could the European Union mitigate the negative effects of economic, pandemic and environmental crises using only one tool? The answer is positive, by implementing "green" fiscal expansion financed by "green" common debt, such as issuing green bonds. In this paper, we connect the independent responses to different crises into a single response that could end them. The European Union's theoretical background is based on new-classical models, but current research findings doubt new-classical orthodoxy, underling the importance of economic federalism for sustainable economic and green growth. We argue that the Economic and Monetary Union has to speed up fiscal federalism by establishing a powerful European Union common budget using green Eurobonds and implementing fiscal transfers as a mechanism to address the consequences of the triple crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study explores the interconnectedness and complexity of risk-varied climate initiatives such as green bonds (GBs), emissions trading systems (ETS) and socially responsible investments (SRI). The analysis covers the period from September 2011 to August 2022, using six indices: three representing climate initiatives and three indicating uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve this, the study first examines dynamic lead-lag relations and correlation patterns in the time-frequency domain to analyse the returns of the series. Additionally, it applies an innovative approach to investigate the predictability of uncertainty measurements of climate initiatives across various market conditions and frequency spillovers in the short, medium and long run. Findings: The findings indicate changing relationships between the series, increased linkages during turbulent market periods and strong co-movements within the network. The ETS is recommended for diversification and hedging against uncertainty indices, whereas the GB may be suitable for long-term diversification. Practical implications: This study highlights the role of climate initiatives as potential hedges and contagion amplifiers during crises, with implications for policy recommendations and the asymmetric effects on market connectedness. Originality/value: The paper answers questions that previous studies have not and contributes to the literature regarding financial risk management and social responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial markets have the potential to magnify the adverse impacts of carbon-intensive assets, mainly in the case of a swift and unforeseen shift toward a low-carbon economy. Given that green bonds are already in the process of standardization and actively support the funding of environmental goals, this paper aims to explore their relationship with the European banking system. To achieve this objective, we utilize a cross-quantilogram approach, analyzing daily data gathered from July 2014 to January 2021 and examining bi-directional dependence. Our unique contribution lies in revealing the relationships between the green bond index and the stock market dynamics of European banks compared to their relationships with conventional stock market indices, which is a novel endeavor to the best of our knowledge. The results are consistent with prior research findings regarding the relationships between the green bond index and various companies and financial assets. These results confirm that other financial instruments impact green bonds, whereas the influence exerted by green bonds on other assets is minimal. Additionally, our study provides evidence indicating that the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the connections between these financial assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to establish a decision-making algorithm for issuing green bonds by municipalities in inter-municipal cooperation in Lithuania with a focus on zero-waste projects. The research methodology comprises four parts. The first part of the research methodology corresponds to a literature review that examines the concept of inter-municipal cooperation and its development in different countries. The second part of the research methodology is dedicated to the formulation of the valuation approach for the inter-municipal cooperation possibility and approbation of it in the selected municipalities. The third part of the research methodology covers the development of the decision-making algorithm for issuing green bonds by municipalities in inter-municipal cooperation in Lithuania. The last part of the research methodology summarizes the results of the survey and proposals for its further development. The findings suggest that the selected municipalities for the valuation of inter-municipal cooperation possibility could improve municipal performance for better inter-municipal cooperation results. The results also show that a smaller municipality corresponds to moderate municipal performance, which can be expected in comparison to a larger municipality. The findings of the construction of the decision-making algorithm suggest a 12-step process for the issuance of green bonds in Lithuania. The practical implications of the study are based on the notion that findings can be applied by municipalities willing to issue green bonds, smaller municipalities having challenges finding financial sources, and municipalities in inter-municipal cooperation sharing the same goals. An original aspect of this paper is its study focus on inter-municipal cooperation valuation and the issuance of green bonds in the municipalities of a smaller country which can serve as a reference point for considering the potential issuance of green bonds in municipalities of similar size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the dynamic interactions between green finance, economic growth, and green energy consumption for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) members. The econometric analysis is conducted on annual data gathered throughout 2010–2020 using different estimation techniques of the Vector Autoregressive model, causality, and co-integration approaches. The main results confirmed a positive bi-directional relationship between GDP and green energy consumption. In addition, there is a two-way relationship between the volume of green bond issuance and the use of green energy in OECD countries. The recommended practical policy recommendations are establishing a unified green bonds market among OECD member states, prioritizing green projects to support the issued green bonds, improving the financial system, and financing rural electrification and electric vehicle transition by green bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how oil price (OP) influences the prospects of green bonds by utilising the quantile-onquantile (QQ) method and researching the interactions between OP and green bond index (GBI) from 2011:M1 to 2021:M11. We find that impacts from OP on the GBI are positive in the short run. The positive effects indicate that high OP can promote the development of the green bond market, indicating that green bonds can be considered an asset to avoid OP shocks. However, in the medium and long term, there is a negative impact due to the oversupply of the oil market and the increase in green energy industry profits. These results are identical to the supply and demand-based correlation model of green bonds and oil price, which underlines a specific effect of OP on GBI. The GBI effect on OP is consistently positive across all quantiles. It indicates that green bonds cannot be considered efficient measures to alleviate the oil crisis due to the instability of the Middle East COVID-19 and the small scale of green bonds. The issuers of green bonds can make decisions based on OP. Understanding the relationship between OP and GBI is also beneficial for investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore how organisations use institutional language in Green Bond reports to explain and justify their activities using language that describes and reflects narratives while simultaneously constructing and shaping ideology. The paper mobilises Wodak and Meyer's critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine reports and related documentation relating to Green Bonds issued in France. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses three legitimating discourses: technocratic, environmental and social and business performance to develop a linguistic perspective that permits contributions to existing knowledge in the area. Findings: The analysis attempts to identify the discursive strategies used to legitimise Green Bond issuance via claims linked to environmental management improvements and business activities' social impact. Originality/value: The study contributes to the critical literature on organisational legitimation and responsibility, investigations of Green Bond narratives and an understanding of broader environmental reporting in the financial sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Latin American Journal of Economic Developement (LAJED) is the property of Universidad Catolica Boliviana San Pablo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines the coherence of extreme returns between green bonds and a unique set of green stocks. We use the novel quantile cross-spectral coherence methodology of quantile spectral coherency model, cross-quantilogram correlation approach, windowed time-lagged cross-correlation, and windowed scalogram difference models as estimation techniques. The study period spans from 28 November 2008 to 23 September 2020. Our measure of green stocks comprises the constituents of the MSCI Global Environment Price Index: Alternative Energy, Green Building, Pollution Prevention or Clean Technology while our green bond market is proxied by S&P Green Bond Index. We find the dependency between Green Bonds and green stocks to be weak, and this is high during market downturn periods in the short- to medium-term dynamics. This suggests that Green Bonds do act as a hedge, diversifier, or safe-haven instrument for environment portfolio in the short-term, medium-term and long-term dynamics during bearish market conditions. We conclude that green bonds and green stocks are two distinct asset classes with a distinct risk-return profile despite their common climate-friendly nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to conduct a comparative study between the historical development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in both the USA and China. It is motivated by the phenomenon that CSR is developing in two different directions (global vs local). Design/methodology/approach: A comparative study on sustainability-linked compensation illustrates how CSR in the USA is driven by firm-level economic decisions, in which the manifestations of CSR are usually those which prove to be the most profitable financially. Moreover, a case analysis on the green bond market in China contrarily illustrates how CSR in China is usually based more on alignment with top-down, state-led initiatives in which the state directs the ways in which CSR is manifested. Findings: This paper reveals that despite globalizing trends are attempting to unify definitions of CSR, they inevitably become localized to fit the societal needs in which they are located. Originality/value: By understanding how CSR development in these two countries has changed over time, this paper shows that future developments in CSR will likely be influenced more by local practices than by converging global forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to present and analyse the development of green bonds issued on the Polish and international market in 2015-2021. Design/methodology/approach: The research methods used in the paper include the survey of Polish and foreign literature as well as the analysis of data from secondary sources. Desk research analysis was based on numerical data contained in the Climate Bonds Initiative database. Findings: The result of the conducted research is an indication of trends concerning the development of the green bond market and the main leaders on the international market. The position of Poland as an issuer of this type of securities is presented against this background. Research limitations/implications: The presented findings encourage further research to systematize data on green finance in Poland and the issue of green bonds from the point of view of the adopted criteria for their division. Practical implications: The analysis and assessment of the causes and effects of the issue of green bonds, especially on international markets, should be a kind of leverage to popularize this method of financing pro-ecological projects in Poland, especially among entrepreneurs and local governments. Social implications: The use of the presented data, analyses and conclusions should imply further actions and strategies of various entities necessary to implement the concept of sustainable development, especially green financing. The implementation of green bonds should result in the development of the capital market on the one hand, and on the other hand, contribute to the effective implementation of pro-ecological projects. Originality/value: The article synthetically presents the significance of the concept of green finance. It deals with current issues related to green bonds as well as global and domestic trends in their application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to highlight some issues and proffer solutions that can make sustainable finance become sustainable. One, there should be greater focus on how some aspects of finance can contribute to sustainability. Two, light-touch regulation may be needed to grow the relatively small sustainable finance sector. Three, there is a need to adopt a bottom-up approach to grow the sustainable finance sector. Four, voluntary ESG disclosures and related sustainability reporting should be encouraged. Five, short-term financial instruments can complement long term instruments in sustainable financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyse the standards in promoting sustainable and responsible investment (SRIs) and green bonds among ASEAN countries. Thus, to progressively reach these objectives, this paper applied content document analysis and expert interviews. This paper discusses in detail the three ASEAN's standards issued by the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum (ACMF) to support SRIs and green bonds, namely the ASEAN Green Bond Standards 2017, the ASEAN Social Bond Standards 2018 and the ASEAN Sustainability Bond Standards 2018. Besides, this paper also explores the strengths and the weaknesses of the issuances of these ASEAN standards. The limitations of this research are that it is entirely conceptual, and its' analysis is based on secondary data sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of transparent allocation of proceeds on green bonds' yields, providing insights to green bonds' issuers for optimizing their financing terms. Using data from the EU state agencies' green bond market, we applied a Prais-Winsten regression model with correlated panels corrected standard errors and common AR(1) to estimate the relationship between green bonds' yields and various factors, including the transparency of proceeds. Transparent allocation of proceeds has a negative effect on green bonds' yields, confirming that investors require lower returns when they are well-informed about a bond's environmental goals. Additionally, higher credit ratings, and shorter remaining maturity are associated with lower green bonds' yields. Transparent use of proceeds significantly influences green bonds' yields, demonstrating that specifying the use of bond proceeds for environmentally friendly projects can lead to more favorable financing terms. Future research direction should provide additional classification of the green bonds' transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by a lack of studies related to macro risk‐driven green bond markets, this paper detects the tail dependence of the USA and China green bond markets on three uncertainty indicators. We applied a novel cross‐quantilogram method to address this issue and utilised the quantile causality test for robustness, as well as to capture predictive causalities. The results show that three selected uncertainty indicators are important drivers for the returns and volatilities of green bond markets. However, all three indicators play different roles in the two nations. The most influential determinant of US green bonds is financial uncertainty, whereas in China, it is economic policy uncertainty. Additionally, the impact on green bond returns varies in different market states, and green bond volatilities may respond abnormally to extreme increasing changes in these uncertainties. These findings imply the unique financial characteristics of two green bond markets and heterogeneities between different countries. The corresponding investment implications and policy significance are discussed in detail in the concluding section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]