Green Finance

Debate between Lord Mountevans and Lord Bates

Monday 5th March 2018 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bates]

The last point in particular is very interesting and it is certainly worth the NS&I looking at it. Again, that comes within the remit of the Green Finance Taskforce. It was asked to look at intuitional barriers to green finance but also at retail. All that is very much in its remit, and we would encourage it to look at those issues.

[Lord Mountevans (CB)]

My Lords, given my understanding that there is no cost premium for a sovereign green bond, and given the very positive signal that issuance from the UK Government would carry, will the Minister acknowledge the benefits that this would have for pump-priming the market, as with the sovereign sukuk, for encouraging other public sector issuance—for example, municipal green bonds—and for boosting the creation of green finance skills in financial institutions?

[Lord Bates]

A lot is being done to pump-prime the market at the present time. Some of the issuances that have already taken place or been announced, such as that from Barclay’s and the Thames tideway tunnel, have been part of the stimulation and growth packages that we referred to. That is why we have the task force, why we are very pleased to be partnering with the City in the Green Finance Initiative and why we should take its advice and act upon it.