Turning national balance sheets into engines for environmental progress.
The Challenge
Governments are under increasing pressure to finance climate adaptation and biodiversity goals, but traditional sovereign debt instruments do not align with SDG ambitions. Many nations carry unsustainable debt burdens that prevent investment in green priorities.
Debt-for-nature swaps, sustainability-linked bonds, and thematic frameworks offer innovative pathways but require specialist structuring expertise that few developing nations have access to.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework requires mobilisation of $200B annually from all sources by 2030. [CBD COP15]
Our Approach
Analyse the nation's existing debt portfolio, fiscal capacity, and green spending commitments. Identify opportunities for innovative refinancing or new issuance aligned with environmental goals.
Structure the appropriate instrument green bond, sustainability-linked bond, debt-for-nature swap, or thematic bond framework aligned with the nation's NDCs and SDG commitments.
Engage institutional investors, multilateral development banks, and capital markets. Provide roadshow support and facilitate the issuance or transaction closure.
Financial Instruments
Dedicated green bond frameworks for government issuers, aligned with ICMA Green Bond Principles and linked to measurable environmental outcomes.
↳ Financial Advisory
Restructuring sovereign debt obligations in exchange for commitments to conservation spending reducing debt burden while directing capital to nature.
↳ Investment Banking
Bonds with coupon rates linked to achievement of sustainability performance targets incentivising environmental action through financial mechanisms.
↳ Financial Advisory
Comprehensive thematic bond frameworks covering multiple SDG objectives enabling sovereigns to access the growing ESG investor base.
↳ Financial Advisory
Track Record
Assisted Uzbekistan with the placement of a US$250M sustainable Eurobond on the London Stock Exchange one of the first sovereign sustainable bonds from Central Asia, demonstrating the viability of thematic issuance from emerging market sovereigns.
Advised the Kyrgyz Ministry of Economy on the feasibility and issuance strategy of a debt-for-nature swap, providing roadmap for unlocking conservation finance through sovereign debt restructuring mechanisms.
Talk to our Sovereign Finance specialists. BwB works with Ministries of Finance, central banks, and DFIs worldwide.