Climate Bonds Initiative Social and Sustainability Bond Database Methodology

The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) Social and Sustainability Bond Database (SSBDB) Methodology outlines the criteria and process for identifying and classifying social and sustainability-labelled debt instruments. The database aims to provide transparency on global social and sustainability debt, including use-of-proceeds (UoP) bonds and sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs), while ensuring these instruments do not cause significant harm to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

• The SSBDB identifies and tracks debt instruments based on three primary prerequisites: they must be a debt instrument (excluding short-term debt like commercial paper), they must be self-labelled by the issuer under social or sustainability themes, and they must provide sufficient public disclosure to determine the use of proceeds and basic deal data.
• CBI employs a three-step screening process for classification: first, identifying labelled debt; second, analyzing the Use of Proceeds (UoP) against social categories and ensuring a target population is identified; and third, recording key information and mapping the UoP to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The database covers two overarching debt themes: Use of Proceeds (UoP) bonds, which are further split into social and sustainability categories, and performance-linked instruments, primarily sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs). SLBs are treated as general corporate purpose funding with coupons tied to predefined sustainability KPIs.
• Instruments may be listed in both the SSBDB and the Green Bond Database if 100% of the net proceeds meet the Green Bond Database requirements, even if the bond carries a sustainability or social label (e.g., a social housing bond with a green building certification).
• CBI applies a 'do no significant harm' (DNSH) principle to climate change. Instruments are flagged as excluded if more than 5% of proceeds are allocated to areas with potentially negative climate impacts, such as fossil fuel exploration, production, refining, and fossil fuel-powered transport.
• The methodology allows for geographical variation regarding road infrastructure. In very low-intensity, less-developed economies, road infrastructure for basic amenities may be eligible, assessed on a case-by-case basis using Climate Resilience Principles.

APA

Climate Bonds Initiative (2022). Climate Bonds Initiative Social and Sustainability Bond Database Methodology. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/CBI-Social-and-Sustainability-Bond-Methodology-14092022.pdf

Chicago

Climate Bonds Initiative. Climate Bonds Initiative Social and Sustainability Bond Database Methodology. 2022. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/CBI-Social-and-Sustainability-Bond-Methodology-14092022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Bonds Initiative |title=Climate Bonds Initiative Social and Sustainability Bond Database Methodology |date=August 2022 |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/CBI-Social-and-Sustainability-Bond-Methodology-14092022.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatebondsinitiative2022climate, author = {{Climate Bonds Initiative}}, title = {{Climate Bonds Initiative Social and Sustainability Bond Database Methodology}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/CBI-Social-and-Sustainability-Bond-Methodology-14092022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }