On April 5th, IENE organized a special event in Athens on “Green Financing Opportunities in Greece and SE Europe”. The conference was held in partnership with the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) and under the auspices of the British Embassy in Athens. This latest IENE event focused on exploring the potential for financing green projects in Greece and SE Europe. Keynote speakers included senior executives from the energy and banking sector from Greece and abroad, actively engaged in green financing.
The use of ESG criteria is becoming more and more relevant for project investment worldwide, highlighting the role of green bonds. Having kicked off in 2007 and really starting to take off in 2014, cumulative green bond issuance to date amounts to US$ 2.203 trillion, while 2023 issuance until the end of January stood at US$ 25.3 bn.
Committed to the promotion of sustainable development, IENE has set up a partnership with the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) and since January 2021, the Institute became the first organization in Greece and SE Europe to be granted Approved Verifier status under the Climate Bond Standard. This is a significant milestone in the development of Green Bond markets in SE Europe.
The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) is an international organisation working to mobilise global capital for climate action. CBI achieves this through the development of the Climate Bond Standard and Certification Scheme as well as through Policy Engagement and Market Intelligence work. CBI empowers its partner organizations with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate, influence and instigate change.
The «Green Financing Opportunities in Greece and SE Europe» conference kicked off with a welcome address by IENE’s Chairman Mr. Costis Stambolis, followed by opening remarks by H. E. Mr. Matthew Lodge, United Kingdom’s Ambassador to Greece.
Focusing on the development of the green bonds market the first session was moderated by Mr. Thomas Lamnidis (ΙΕΝΕ Partner and Member of IENE’s Executive Committee, Lamnidis Law, Athens). Mr. Sean Kidney, co-Founder and CEO at Climate Bonds Initiative, London, UK, was the session’s keynote speaker and expanded on the role and use of green bonds emphasizing the huge potential for green debt issuance which lies ahead. Other speakers included Mrs. Elisabeth Vishnevskaja (Head of Partnerships, CBI, Athens) and Mrs. Lilian (Evagelia) Georgopoulou (Deputy Chief Listings Officer at the Athens Exchange).
The second session, on current and potential green bond issuers was moderated by Mrs. Sofia Politopoulou (IENE Partner and Director, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator S.A. - HEDNO, Athens). The keynote speaker of the session was Mr. Yiannis Yiarentis, Chairman of the Board and CEO at DAPEEP S.A., Athens. The impact of green bonds for the energy sector was highlighted by Mr. Argyrios Gkonis (Investor Relations Officer, GEK TERNA Group, Athens) and Mr. Christos Gavalas (General Manager Treasury, MYTILINEOS Holdings S.A., Athens), whereas banking representatives, Mr. Theodore Tzouros (Executive General Manager, Chief of Corporate & Investment Banking, Piraeus Bank, Athens) and Mr. Spyros Venetsianos (Deputy General Manager, Eurobank, Athens), explained the role of banks in the issuing process.
The practical steps required in the issuance of green bonds were the subject of the conference’s third session. Moderated by IENE’s Chairman, Mr. Costis Stambolis, session speakers included Mrs. Marina Strovolidou (Head of Certification at Climate Bonds Initiative, Nicosia, Cyprus), Mr. Konstantinos Theofylaktos (Secretary General and Chairman of IENE’s Energy Efficiency Committee, Athens) and Mrs. Maria Athanasopoulou (Head of Unit, Energy Markets and Regulation, EXERGIA S.A., Athens).
This half-day conference by IENE, was attended by a large number of experts and professionals in the fields of energy, banking and business, in general, from Greece and SE Europe. The proceedings of the event concluded with a Round Table Discussion.
The sponsors of the “Green Financing Opportunities in Greece and SE Europe” conference included KG Law Firm, Eurobank and Piraeus Bank, while “Naftemporiki” Newspaper and energy portal Energia.gr were the event’s communication sponsors.
