# UK’s first green gilt draws record $137 billion demand Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-09-21 Category: TRADING Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/trading Meta Title: Britain's Green Bond Sale: Record Demand Fuels Investor Meta Description: Britain's first 'green' government bond sale of 10 billion pounds attracts over 100 billion pounds in demand, boosting green credentials for URL: https://financedigest.com/uks-first-green-gilt-draws-record-137-billion-demandhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2021-09-21t125850z4lynxmpeh8k0b3rtroptp4britain-sterling-1736837820248-compressed.jpg) By David Milliken and Yoruk Bahceli LONDON (Reuters) – Britain sold 10 billion pounds of its first ‘green’ government bond on Tuesday after attracting over 100 billion pounds ($137 billion) of demand from investors, a record high which shows the clamour for assets which can be marketed as good for the planet. Proceeds from the sale will be ring-fenced for projects such as clean energy and transport, and will also help Britain’s government burnish its green credentials before it hosts the United Nations COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November. Britain has lagged behind other European countries such as Germany, Italy and Spain in issuing this type of debt, partly because of concern that [investors would want higher interest rates](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-stocks-slip-as-rate-hike-worries-grip-investors.html "UK stocks slip as rate hike worries grip investors") to compensate for a relative lack of liquidity. But Tuesday’s launch of the new gilt maturing in July 2033 represents the largest single sale by a sovereign issuer, topping the previous 8.5 [billion euro record set by Italy in March](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-investors-add-1-2-billion-to-equity-funds-in-march-calastone.html "UK investors add .2 billion to equity funds in March – Calastone"). “It’s confirmation that the demand is there even in sterling, not just in euros,” said Antoine Bouvet, senior rates strategist at ING. Based on the secondary market, he estimated the deal was pricing in a roughly 3 basis point “greenium” — the slightly lower yield [green bonds offer versus conventional debt](https://www.financedigest.com/green-bonds-are-set-to-drive-corporate-esg-debt-out-of-slump-in-2023-barclays.html "Green bonds are set to drive corporate ESG debt out of slump in 2023 -Barclays"), reflecting a dedicated investor base chasing a limited supply of these assets. Britain has said it aims to raise around 15 [billion pounds in total from two green gilt launches](https://www.financedigest.com/abb-to-launch-1-billion-share-buyback-on-april-3.html "ABB to launch billion share buyback on April 3") this year – Tuesday’s sale and a new 20- to 30-year maturity green gilt next month. This issuance will be only a small fraction of the total 253 billion [pounds of gilt](https://www.financedigest.com/the-pound-gilts-and-stocks-likely-winners-and-losers-from-uk-budget.html "The pound, gilts and stocks: likely winners and losers from UK budget") sales planned for this financial year. The new 2033 gilt will [pay a coupon of 0.875% and has been priced](https://www.financedigest.com/shell-energy-to-pay-for-overcharging-price-cap-customers-ofgem.html "Shell Energy to pay for overcharging price cap customers -Ofgem") to give a yield of 0.8721%, 7.5 basis points more than the conventional June 2032 gilt, a yield premium which reflects the longer maturity rather than a lack of liquidity for the new issue. Matthew Amis, an investment director at Aberdeen Standard Investments, said the gilt had been [priced more cheaply than some other green issues and offered](https://www.financedigest.com/bellway-offers-jovial-january-sale-prices-poplar.html "Bellway Offers Jovial January Sale Prices In Poplar") fair value compared with conventional gilts. “The lack of a significant ‘greenium’ has certainly added to the huge demand,” he said. We expect this gilt to perform well in the [coming days](https://www.financedigest.com/have-multi-asset-funds-had-their-day-or-is-their-best-yet-to-come-new-whitepaper-from-camradata-explores.html "Have multi-asset funds had their day or is their best yet to come? New whitepaper from CAMRADATA explores") and months. The [Bank of England](https://www.financedigest.com/what-to-make-of-the-headlines-brexit-and-bank-of-england-policy-eba-bank-stress-tests.html "What to make of the headlines? Brexit and Bank of England policy, EBA bank stress tests") has said it will buy green bonds as part of its asset purchase programme and treat them like similar conventional ones. ($1 = 0.7305 pounds) (Editing by Andy Bruce, Giles Elgood and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---