Taipei Exchange Launches Dedicated Sustainable Bond Segment to Further Issuing Momentum

The Taipei Exchange, TPEx, launched a dedicated segment for sustainable bonds, celebrating on May 18 with the debut of three social bond listings. The segment marks a milestone for Taiwan's socially responsible investment and is in accordance with a plan announced by the Taiwanese government's Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC). The commission's plan, named the Green Finance Action Plan 2.0, was announced in August 2020.

TPEx Chairman Philip Chen said in a statement announcing the new segment, "After accomplishing the mechanism regarding social bonds, the last piece of the puzzle, TPEx has integrated the regulations of Green Bonds, Sustainability Bonds, and Social Bonds and launched this segment exclusively for ESG concept bonds." Chen went on to highlight TPEx's market acclaim for launching Green Bond and Sustainability Bond operational directions in 2017 and 2020 respectively, which were in line with the ICMA's GBP and SBG. The total outstanding amount of listed sustainable bonds has steadily grown, exceeding NT$207bn (US$7bn), according to Chen.

The first batch of three social bonds listed on TPEx is primarily funding socioeconomic advancement projects related to the global COVID-19 pandemic, projects such as increasing access to loans, providing job opportunities and raising the availability of affordable housing.

FSC Chairman Dr. Tien-Mu Huang said, "FSC fully supports financial innovation and product diversity. The Sustainable Bond Segment at TPEx provides the market with a clearer, more complete and consistent regulatory mechanism, facilitating easier compliance for issuers. This subsequently serves to direct funds to eco-friendly and socially beneficial projects, helping achieve the goals of Green Finance Action Plan 2.0 tremendously." Mrs. Tania Berchem from the Luxemburg Trade and Investment Office in Taipei, Mr. Nicholas Pfaff from ICMA, and Mr. Sean Kidney from CBI all sent their congratulatory messages to TPEx for the dedicated segment.

Meanwhile, TPEx has modernized its sustainable bonds website (https://www.tpex.org.tw/web/bond/sustainability/index.php?l=en-us), improving all relevant information for clarity and accessibility. The updated website is bilingual, and key features have been added which include issuance status and bond framework information, assessment opinions from external reviewers, market reports, and access to current sustainability studies and research reports. Speaking of the new website, Chen added, "In facilitating responsible investing, we hope to offer a full array of information to enhance transparency while simultaneously raising investors' social awareness."

About the Taipei Exchange

Established in 1994, the Taipei Exchange is a member of the World Federation of Exchanges. The exchange has grown with a vision of sustainability to meet the diverse needs of issuers and investors, and has long been dedicated to fostering emerging, high-tech and creative industries by providing a viable channel for raising capital. The exchange has also established a fast-growing bond market. For more information, visit: https://www.tpex.org.tw/web/index.php?l=en-us