The European Investment Bank (EIB) has passed the €100 billion mark in total Climate Awareness Bonds (CAB) and Sustainability Awareness Bonds (SAB) issuance since producing the world’s first green bond in 2007. Today, the EIB celebrated this milestone at the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, the world’s reference exchange for sustainable bonds.   

Nadia Calviño, president of the European Investment Bank, visited the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) for the first time today to mark the milestone in the EIB’s pioneering contribution to sustainable finance. She also discussed the future of the green bond market in the context of the EU agendas for Sustainable Finance and the Savings and Investment Union.

In the presence of Luxembourg Minister of Finance Gilles Roth, the EIB and LuxSE put the spotlight on the EIB’s unique contribution to bringing more clarity to sustainable finance and the role of the broader financial ecosystem in Luxembourg in advancing sustainable investment.   

During his speech, Luxembourg Minister of Finance Gilles Roth commented: "The EIB’s achievement of surpassing  €100 billion in sustainable bonds is remarkable and highlights the transformative role of finance in addressing global challenges. Each of these bonds has had a tangible impact – on the real economy, on people’s lives and on the planet. While this milestone is significant, we must continue to push boundaries. This partnership between the EIB and the LuxSE sets a high standard for the global financial community to follow. Luxembourg remains committed to fostering international partnerships to strengthen sustainable finance globally.”

EIB President Nadia Calviño highlighted: “The milestone we are celebrating today reflects the exponential development of the sustainable bond market as well as the strong partnership between the EIB and the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Since pioneering the green bond market in 2007, the EIB has unlocked €100 billion of investor support for climate action and sustainability, with Luxembourg now a global centre for sustainable finance. The EIB will continue to support the green transition also by leading the emergence of a standardised green bond market in the context of deeper and stronger capital markets in Europe.”

Julie Becker, Chief Executive Officer of LuxSE, said: “Today marks an important milestone not just for the EIB but also for the sustainable finance market more broadly. Since it pioneered the green bond market 17 years ago, the EIB has spearheaded market developments and led the way towards more standardisation, better reporting and more transparency for investors. Thanks to its leading role, the EIB has been a crucial partner and inspiration for LuxSE’s sustainable finance initiatives.”

Reaching the  €100 billion mark

In 2007, the EIB issued the world’s first green bond and inaugurated a market that would see exponential growth in the ensuing years. According to figures from the LGX DataHub, the cumulative, total funding raised through green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked bonds issued globally has reached $5.2 trillion.

In August 2024, the EIB passed the EUR €100 billion mark of CAB and SAB issuance. This makes the EIB the world’s largest issuer of green bonds as well as assured sustainable bonds with dedicated use of proceeds among multilateral development banks. To meet the needs of a broad investor base, the EIB has issued these bonds in 23 currencies, a market record.

The EIB’s inaugural CAB was listed on LuxSE in 2007. In 2016, LuxSE established the Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX), the first platform dedicated exclusively to sustainable securities. By creating visibility and transparency around sustainable investment opportunities, LGX helps advance investment for the objectives laid out in the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Fostering market development to enhance clarity in sustainable finance

LuxSE and the EIB have contributed first-hand market experience to the work of various expert groups and industry associations in the field of sustainable finance. This includes the EU’s 2016-2018 High-Level Expert Group on sustainable finance, which made strategic recommendations for a financial system that advances sustainable investments, and the 2018-2020 Technical Expert Group on sustainable finance, which proposed the EU Green Bond Standard and an EU taxonomy of economic activities contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation. In addition, the EIB is a Member of the EU Platform on Sustainable finance, established by the Taxonomy Regulation in 2020 to advise the European Commission in its ongoing reform of sustainable finance.

Building on its role as a leading issuer, the EIB has fostered market development through its contributions to the Green Bond Principles for the promotion of best practice, leading by example via its CAB and SAB frameworks and its allocation and impact reports, all audited by a supervised auditor with Reasonable Assurance (ISAE 3000), the highest level of assurance in the market.

Since 2018, the EIB has been aligning its Climate- and Sustainability Awareness Bonds with the EU Taxonomy and expects to continue on this path, leading the way in demonstrating the gradual application of evolving EU sustainable finance legislation.

Expanding the scope

Initially, the focus of the EIB’s sustainability funding was on green objectives. In 2018, the EIB started issuing Sustainability Awareness Bonds, which raise financing for investment projects with social outcomes. 

Similarly, the LGX platform was initially dedicated to green bonds and the scope was expanded to include social and sustainability bonds in 2017.