The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has assisted Thailand’s Ministry of Finance, via its Public Debt Management Office (PDMO), in successfully issuing Asia’s first sustainability-linked sovereign bond (SLB). This makes Thailand the third country to issue an SLB globally, following Chile and Uruguay.
The 15-year SLB, launched on November 25, 2024, raised 30 billion baht and was oversubscribed 2.7 times, attracting strong investor interest.
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Targeting Sustainability with Key Performance Indicators
The SLB’s financial terms depend on Thailand meeting sustainability performance targets (SPTs) and key performance indicators (KPIs). The bond targets a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and 440,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2030.
This initiative underscores Thailand’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero emissions by 2065.
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ADB’s Support for Thailand’s Climate Goals
Anouj Mehta, ADB’s Country Director for Thailand said, “This bond reflects ADB’s commitment to innovative financial solutions to support Thailand’s climate targets and commitments, building on our support for PDMO’s first sustainability bond in 2020.”
He added, “This issuance of the SLB underscores the significant role that capital markets can play in attracting both public and private investment which are crucial to supporting the country’s transition to carbon neutrality by 2050 and achieving net zero emissions by 2065.”
The SLB issuance reflects Thailand’s commitment to climate change mitigation and efforts to promote a sustainable economy and society.
The ADB supported the SLB issuance through its GSS+ Bonds Initiative for Southeast Asia, part of a wider collaboration between the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF) and ABMI. The ACGF promotes green infrastructure investments in Southeast Asia, while the ABMI develops local currency bond markets in the region.