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Climate Bonds Initiative

Website:

www.climatebonds.net
Type:

International climate charity group
Locatation:

London, England
CEO:

Sean Kidney
Financials (2023):

Revenue: £8,800,744 ($11,070,016)

Expenditures: £9,300,711 ($11,698,899)

Assets: £2,298,623 ($2,891,323) 12 13

References

  1. “Climate Bonds Initiative – Charity 1154413.” register. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5035107/accounts-and-annual-returns.

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Climate Bonds Initiative is a United Kingdom-based nonprofit organization that expands financing for converting from traditional energy sources to weather-dependent and other non-traditional sources. Its work is focused on securing support for a shift in investments of the $100 trillion global bond market with a goal of investing $5 trillion annually to aid in the transition. The organization educates and motivates investors, governments, development banks, and industries to accomplish its goals. 1

CBI is funded by large financial institutions, philanthropies, and government agencies, including the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, the left-of-center Bloomberg Philanthropies, the European Bank, the European Climate Foundation, and the Australian government. 2

Programs

Climate Bonds Standard and Certification Scheme

Climate Bonds Initiative has established a Climate Bonds Standards Board which in turn issues “Climate Bonds Taxonomy” that classifies climate-aligned assets and projects to facilitate investors’ education and confidence in planned climate investments. The organization’s seeks to develop an easy-to-use labeling scheme that assists in establishing priorities and monitoring investments. 3

Policy Engagement

Climate Bonds Initiative works to establish a close working relationship between governments, finance markets, and businesses. The organization advances policy that seeks to increase bank lending to weather-dependent energy sources by the creation of a separate bond market, government investment to reach a goal of 85 percent of all homes being energy efficient, and developing risk insurance for renewable energy bonds. 4

Market Intelligence

CBI publishes a “Green Bonds: State of the Market” report and maintains a bond library to promote issued bonds and bond markets designed to provide investors with conditions. 5

CBI presents “Green Infrastructure Investment Opportunity” reports for countries including Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand designed to size the broader opportunity for climate friendly infrastructure projects. 6

Five Steps to Five Trillion

Climate Bonds Initiative has established a goal of $5 trillion per year in bond issuance and has established five goals to accomplish it. 7

Label Green

The organization seeks to establish liquidity and scale by labeling bonds, equities, and other financial instruments as “green.” 7

Define Transformation

CBI holds that the definition of climate change mitigation must be expanded to gain the market size they seek. Its aim is to incorporate biodiversity, resilience, and healthcare to boost market support. 8

Government Support

Climate Bond Initiative advocates for government support of net-zero through government guarantees for bonds defined as green and the issuance of sovereign green bonds that expand the market and as a demonstration of its support. 7

Grow The Pipeline

CBI seeks government plans, supportive policy and leadership, and investment in research and development, and climate considerations in all plans. 7

Boost Emerging Markets

The organization advocates for capital flow from richer nations to poorer ones via capital markets, guarantees, and larger deals. 7

People

Sean Kidney is CEO and co-founder of CBI and a member of the European Commission’s Platform on Sustainable Finance. He is a member of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Sustainable Investment Advisory Council, and plays roles with Singapore’s Sustainable Finance Advisory Panel, the International Energy Agency’s Finance Industry Advisory Board, the United Kingdom’s green gilt advisory committee, the Steering Committee of the Asia-Pacific Financial Forum’s Sustainable Finance Development Network, Executive Consultation Group, the Blue Dot Network, and a variety of other international groups. Previously, he was a consultant on green bonds to the United Nations Secretary General, a member of the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance. Kidney was appointed as an advisor to the “Global Advisory Council” of the GX Acceleration Agency, a Japanese agency that provides debt guarantees for sustainable finance and that administers carbon pricing in Japan on March 1st, 2025. 9 10

Funding

As of March 2025, Climate Bonds Initiative had many donors, including Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Australian Government, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Cliff Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Climate Arc, ClimateWorks Foundation, co-operators, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Climate Foundation, European Investment Bank, the U.K. Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, GROWALD Climate Fund, International Finance Corporation, KR Foundation, Laudes Foundation, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Tara, Toitu Tahua Centre for Sustainable Finance, and the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative. 11

Some past donors have included Eit Climate-KIC, the Australian Government, German cooperation implemented by giz, Gordon E. and Betty I. Moore Foundation EU’s Horizon 2020, Inter-American Development Bank, Frederick Mulder Foundation, Fsdafrica, OAK Foundation, and the Swiss Government. 11

Financials

CBI generated £8,800,744 ($11,070,016) in revenue in 2023, including £430,445 ($541,435) or 4.9 percent from six government grants. Expenses were reported as £9,375,711 ($11,698,899), of which £8,923,129 ($11,223,957) was for charitable activities. 12

References

  1.  “About Us.” Climate Bonds Initiative, December 7, 2023. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://www.climatebonds.net/about.
  2. [1] “Our Funders.” Climate Bonds Initiative, February 25, 2025. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://www.climatebonds.net/about/funders.
  3. “Certification under the Climate Bonds Standard.” Climate Bonds Initiative, February 13, 2024. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://www.climatebonds.net/certification.
  4. About Us.” Climate Bonds Initiative, December 7, 2023. Accessed March2, 2025. https://www.climatebonds.net/about.
  5. “Climate Bonds Taxonomy.” Climate Bonds Initiative, May 3, 2023. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://www.climatebonds.net/standard/taxonomy.
  6. Market Intelligence.” Climate Bonds Initiative, November 6, 2023. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://www.climatebonds.net/market-intelligence
  7. “Five by Five Manifesto.” Climate Bonds Initiative, January 5, 2023. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://www.climatebonds.net/about/five-five-manifesto.
  8. “Five by Five Manifesto.” Climate Bonds Initiative, January 5, 2023. Accessed March 17, 2025. https://www.climatebonds.net/about/five-five-manifesto.
  9. [1] “Sean Kidney.” Climate Bonds Initiative, January 17, 2024. https://www.climatebonds.net/about/team/sean-kidney.
  10. “Climate Bonds CEO Sean Kidney Appointed to GX Acceleration Agency Global Advisory Council.” Climate Bonds Initiative, February 6, 2025. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://www.climatebonds.net/resources/press-releases/2025/02/climate-bonds-ceo-sean-kidney-appointed-gx-acceleration-agency.
  11. “Our Funders.” Climate Bonds Initiative, February 25, 2025. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://www.climatebonds.net/about/funders.
  12. “Climate Bonds Initiative – Charity 1154413.” register. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5035107/charity-overview
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