Volume of green bond issuance in India FY 2017-2021

In financial year 2021, the volume of green bonds in India was over six billion U.S. dollars. The volume of green bond issuance has been fluctuating since financial year 2017. The green bond is a fixed-income instrument, the proceeds from which fund an environmental project. The bond proceeds are, for example, invested across ventures related to renewable energy, clean transport, green buildings, etc.

First Indian sovereign green bonds

Green bonds are also crucial as a solution to address the investment gap in the Indian market. In 2022, the government approved the Sovereign Green Bonds Framework of India, through which it aims to issue green bonds. The focus will be on financing green infrastructure and renewable energy projects. This is deemed to be a move towards achieving Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets adopted under the Paris Agreement of 2016.

Moving towards renewable energy

  India has witnessed a tremendous rise in energy consumption as a result of rapid economic development and an increase in population. It is one of the leading carbon emitters in the world; however, its per capita consumption is lower than the global average. The country is striving to achieve energy independence through initiatives like Make in India, with a growing focus on sustainability. The government recognized various startups under the sustainability sector as of 2022. Investment in renewable energy has also spiked as compared to the previous years.