One billion euros for sustainable projects in North Rhine-Westphalia / NRW.BANK successfully places ninth social bond

NRW.BANK has issued its ninth social bond in total and the first of the year 2024. The thematic bond with a volume of one billion euros met with strong demand and was almost twice oversubscribed. Since 2020, the promotional bank for North Rhine-Westphalia has placed its social bonds in the international capital market.

“Strengthening not only the ecological but also the social sustainability of North Rhine-Westphalia is a key strategic focus of NRW.BANK. Our social bonds enable investors to participate in projects that secure and promote the livelihoods and the well-being of the people in our federal state,” says Gabriela Pantring, Deputy Chairwoman of NRW.BANK’s Managing Board.

The proceeds from the ninth NRW.BANK.Social Bond will be used to fund, for example, projects that promote affordable home ownership, the preservation and creation of jobs, support for municipalities, e.g. in school education, activities in the health and care sector as well as investments in disaster management. The thematic bond is therefore in line with the ICMA Social Bond Principles.

The issue of the ninth social bond attracted great interest, mostly from Germany and other European countries. The sectoral focus was on banks, central banks and official institutions. NRW.BANK’s social bond issue was lead managed by Barclays, BofA Securities, DekaBank and J.P. Morgan.

The promotional bank for North Rhine-Westphalia is one of the pioneers in the field of thematic bonds. Back in 2013, NRW.BANK was the first regional promotional bank in Germany to issue a Green Bond to fund environmentally friendly projects promoting clean water and green energy in NRW. In June 2020, it was the first German promotional bank to place a EUR 1 billion social bond in the German capital market.

The social benefit of the projects funded has recently been confirmed by ISS ESG, according to which the bond addresses six of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: (1) Zero Poverty; (3) Good Health and Well-being; (4) Quality Education; (5) Gender Equality; (8) Decent Work and Economic Growth as well as (10) Reduced Inequalities.

For more information on the NRW.BANK.Social Bond, visit https://www.nrwbank.de/en/about-us/investor-relations/social-bonds/.

To learn more about sustainability at NRW.BANK, see https://www.nrwbank.de/en/about-us/sustainability/.

Media contact:

Birgit Kranzusch, Deputy Press Officer - Phone: +49 211 91741-1997, e-mail 

NRW.BANK – the promotional bank for North Rhine-Westphalia
NRW.BANK is the promotional bank of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). In close partnership with its owner, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Bank helps to strengthen SMEs and start-ups, create affordable housing and improve public infrastructure. NRW.BANK offers people, enterprises and local authorities in NRW tailor-made financing solutions and advisory services. It cooperates with its financing partners, in particular all banks and savings banks, on a competition-neutral basis. In order to accelerate the transformation processes, the Bank provides effective promotional impulses – for a sustainable, climate-neutral and digital North Rhine-Westphalia.