The volume of so-called sustainable finance activities hit record levels in the first half this year, as ESG investing gains more momentum.
According to Refinitiv, record levels were raised or transacted across various markets.
For one, the volume of sustainable finance bonds issued reached US$551.6 billion, up 76% y-o-y, and hitting an all-time first-half record.
European issuers accounted for the largest regional market for these instruments, with a 60% market share versus 17% from Asia Pacific and 19% from the Americas.
For equity capital markets, the volume of transactions hit US$23.2 billion, more than tripled that of 1H2020.
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The Americas accounted for 41% of overall equity capital markets during this period, followed by Asia Pacific with 38%. The single largest deal was the IPO of China Three Gorges Renewables, which raised US$3.5 billion.
As for M&A involving sustainable companies, the total transacted value hit US$$84.3 billion, more than four times first quarter 2020 levels and an all-time high. During the six months, a total of 466 deals were announced, up 41% y-o-y.
Last but not least, the volume of syndicated loans reached US$321.4 billion, more than triple that of 1H2020.
