Success of the second positive impact bond issuance of Societe Generale contributing to the fight against climate change

Societe Generale yesterday successfully issued the second Positive Impact Bond, a EUR 500m 5-year fixed-rate senior note. The transaction attracted strong demand from SRI investors who represented 74 % of the order book.

The issuance of this bond is a continuation of Societe Generale’s commitments presented at the COP21 in Paris in 2015, and all the operational measures implemented by the bank to contribute to the International Energy Agency’s scenario for limiting global warming to two degrees.

Societe Generale maintains an increasing presence in the renewable energy sector with the doubling of its financing for the sector and the capacity to access up to EUR 10 bn of funding for these projects by 2020.

These proceeds will be used to fund new renewable energy projects in order to contribute to the fight against climate change. These projects are strictly selected in order to comply with the definition of “Positive Impact Finance” (1) , an approach which Societe Generale has pioneered since 2012. This methodology, independently assessed by Vigeo and for which the eligible assets are certified by EY, ensures its alignment with the Green Bond Principles.
Societe Generale guarantees a high standard of transparency for the transaction, thanks to a strong follow-up of the eligible assets and its characteristics.

Press Contact :
Ila Kotecha
+44 20 76 76 68 04
Ila.Kotecha@socgen.com

(1) Notes :
The “Positive Impact Finance” is the one which verifiably produces a positive impact on one of the 3 pillars of sustainable development - the economy, the society or the environment - whilst ensuring any potential negative impacts have been duly identified and mitigated.