Tag: green finance

Geneva-based shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company SA (MSC) has secured financing of US$439 million to equip its fleet with 86 scrubbers in view of IMO's 2020 sulphur cap. Law firm Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) advised French BNP Paribas as coordinating bank and agent.

According to UNCTAD Global Investment Trends Monitor, the foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by nearly a fifth in 2018 to an estimated $1.2 trillion from $1.47 trillion in 2017. The drop brings FDI flows back to the low point reached after the global financial crisis, with the decline concentrated in developed countries where inflows decreased by as much as 40% to an estimated $451 billion.

The Autonomous Operator of Parisian Transports published a press release according to which sixteen among Europe's major companies initiate to push forward the development of sustainable finance, setting up the Corporate Forum on Sustainable Finance, 'The Forum'. It is designed as a permanent network based on exchanging ideas and views and unites crucial 'Green Issuers'.

As part of its commitment to environmental performance, Japanese NYK announced it will receive 2 billion yen from Taiyo Life Insurance Company as a green loan to finance the construction of its first methanol-fueled chemical tanker at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd.

While talking at the first SAFET4SEA Conference in Hamburg, Prof. Orestis Schinas, Professor of Shipping and Ship Finance at Hamburg School of Business Administration, talked about the problem of green finance, and shared advice for newbuildings and existing ships. Prof. Schinas noted that decarbonization comes with a price and operators or owners are challenged and faced with the burden.

Singapore-based shipping owner Quantum Pacific Shipping has secured a US$40m Green Loan from the bank giant BNP Paribas, to finance the purchase and installation of scrubbers for its fleet. The signing of this agreement is considered as the first green loan issued to a shipping company in Asia Pacific.

COP 24 was held in Katowice, Poland, from 3 to 15 December, gathering parties from all around the world to push further work on the fight against climate change. Although the initial feeling was that the negotiations would not end up in some tangible results, governments eventually adopted a robust set of guidelines for implementing the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, literally on the edge of time.

The Republic of Seychelles has launched the world’s first sovereign blue bond, according The World Bank. The bond, which raised US$15 million from international investors, is a pioneering financial instrument designed to support sustainable marine and fisheries projects, demonstrating the potential for countries to harness capital markets for financing the sustainable use of marine resources.

In line with its commitment on green financing, the World Bank Group announced in late September the creation of PROBLUE, a new multi-donor trust fund intended to support healthy and productive oceans by tackling marine pollution, managing fisheries and fostering sustainable growth of coastal economies.

Bermuda-based crude oil tanker company DHT announced it has secured commitment to a $50 million financing for its scrubber retrofit project, subject to final documentation. The financing is structured through an increase of the existing $300 million secured credit facility entered into in Q2 2017.