1. Ameriabank: Green Bonds
Ameriabank at a Glance
• The Leading Bank in Armenia, w/ assets more than 3 billion USD.
• Omni channel Distribution Platform with Focus on Digital, w/ 91% offloading ratio.
• Innovator and Trend Setter, w/ superior customer service, proven leadership not only by financials but also by culture and values.
• Strong Team and Corporate Culture, w/ the best practice corporate governance and unique culture, professional and experienced management team.
• Ratings, S&P: B+. Moody’s: Ba3/NP.
Green Bond framework and project
• A debut issue of 5 year EUR 42 million Green Bond in November 2020.
• Ameriabank’s Green Bond Framework (GBF) is consistent with the International Capital Market Association’s (“ICMA”)
current Green Bond Principles (“GBP”).
• Ameriabank Green Bonds comply with UN Sustainable Development Goals & promote the following goals:
Benefits from Green Bonds Issuance
• New opportunities to raise capital
• Investor base diversification and new league of investors
• Support the transformation to more sustainable financing
• Enhanced knowledge in sustainable finance, support to building expertise
Challenges faced and how they were overcome
• Alignment of our existing green business with Green Bond principles
• Identifying use of proceeds and eligibility criteria
• Internal processes management, engagement and coordination
• Impact reporting
• The first ever green bond project in Armenia
Our advice: what issuers need to know
• focus on your key competencies & limit the scope in GBF for the inception
• engage as many stakeholders as possible from the very beginning – to ensure a flawless process and to save time in translation of green bond “jargon”
• hire a professional consultants or have someone with deep knowledge into the field
• don’t expect to have better pricing or more cost-efficient process, especially if you are doing it for the first time.