PROS AND CONS OF INVESTING IN GREEN BONDS

A green bond is a tax-exempt debt instrument that encourages sustainability and the development of brownfield sites. Such sites are pieces of land which have abandoned establishments, are underdeveloped, or underutilized. Since the beginning of 2016, issuance has reached $18.62 billion. The market is expecting to hit $100 billion this year.

Green bonds, which originate in France, has reached the United States. Some supranational providers of this debt security include European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, African Development Bank, World Bank, and European Investment Bank. Corporate institutions that offer the bond are Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, Skanska, Unilever Plc, Unibail-Rodamco, and Vasakronan.

If you consider trying your hand at green bonds, let us weigh the pros and cons.

Expect green investments to prosper this year, including green bonds, as it continue to gain ground in major economies. Also, governments are anticipated to introduce regulations backing this any instrument that finances green projects. That includes providing tax advantages for green investors.

The International Energy Agency estimates a $1 trillion a year allocation for green projects, while the World Economic Forum suggests $700 billion a year budget for forestry, clean energy, and transportation.

Up to this date, however, liquidity is one of the biggest downfalls of green bond investing. The green market is relatively small; hence it won’t be easy to enter and exit. Such bonds are as good as an add-on investment since it can only do so much to amplify the returns.

Another is slumping crude prices. Significance in alternative energy is huge when oil prices climb. Conversely, interest for alternative energy declines when crude prices drop. Still, there is a massive support for green projects, so big that it could offset low oil prices.

Green bond, as of present, is not precisely defined. Investors may or may not know where their money goes. This topic is still arguable. Other disadvantages include low yields, insufficient research, mispricing, and existence of institutions that offer green bonds.