Green Bonds may be an option for ports that wish to leverage their investments in sustainability

Green bonds emerged in 2008, driven by the need to finance projects that would impact the low-carbon economy, seeking the transition from fossil energy sources to renewable energy.

Since 2015, this initiative has gained momentum around the world with the support of the Paris Agreement, but over the years it has become clear that adopting measures to enable a sustainable economy would require significant investment from various sectors. Therefore, measures that enable the financing of these projects are essential.

The situation is no different in the port sector : the urgency of energy transition and the commitment of private terminals to take the lead in sustainable impact measures require robust investments. Green bonds thus emerge as one of the tools that seek to enable the development of more sustainable production technologies, and can be issued by banks, companies and the National Treasury itself.

Investors who buy bonds can, in addition to diversifying their portfolio, access debt with a positive impact. For issuing companies, these bonds can represent a significant boost for sustainability initiatives, in addition to enhancing their reputation.

The title certification is carried out by institutions that have the role of attesting the alignment of projects with the "Green Bond principles", established by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) .

In 2024, global green bond issuance reached US$461 billion, totaling 1,260 issuances. This number is even higher when talking about sustainable bonds more broadly, such as Sustainability and Social Bonds .

In Brazil, the first records of issuances date back to 2015 and total around US$31 billion in sustainable bonds on the foreign market. In 2024 alone, Brazil issued more than US$6.55 billion in green bonds, of which US$2 billion was issued by the Treasury and US$4.55 billion by companies and banks.

In the infrastructure sector, we can mention the case of the company Suzano SA, which, in 2016 and 2017 in the American capital market, and 2024 in the Chinese market, issued approximately US$ 1.6 billion in green bonds, in addition to other securities linked to sustainability.

Considering the strength of the Brazilian port sector, which handled 1.32 billion tons of cargo in 2024, reflecting growth of 1.2% compared to the previous year, this green agenda brings great potential for us to be a reference in the issuance of green bonds , making these bonds an interesting option for port facilities that wish to leverage their investments in sustainable projects and occupy a strategic position in the national and international market.