Australia and New Zealand Briefing

As of June 30, 2018, Australia and New Zealand have established themselves as leaders in the use of the Climate Bonds Standard, despite differing national climate policy environments. Australia's market is driven by major banks and sub-sovereign entities, with significant issuance in energy, transport, and buildings. New Zealand's market is more nascent, featuring a world-first green borrowing programme for geothermal energy. Both nations are noted for high levels of certification and best-practice reporting, though further policy support and project pipelines are needed to meet Paris Agreement targets.

• By June 30, 2018, cumulative green bond issuance reached AUD 8.3bn (USD 6.3bn) in Australia and NZD 2.1bn (USD 1.5bn) in New Zealand.
• Australia is a global leader in the Climate Bonds Standard, accounting for 12% of global certified volume, which makes it the third largest source of certified issuance behind China and the USA.
• The Australian green bond market is primarily driven by the banking and real estate sectors, with the four major banks (NAB, ANZ, Westpac, and CBA) playing a pivotal role in providing finance for the low carbon transition.
• Sub-sovereign issuers in Australia, specifically the Treasury Corp of Victoria (2016) and Queensland Treasury Corp (2017), have increased market momentum by financing transport, water, buildings, and energy projects.
• In Australia, renewable energy is the dominant use of proceeds, though transport is growing due to sub-sovereign bonds, and green buildings remain consistent due to NABERS and Green Star certification schemes.
• New Zealand's green bond market began in 2017, highlighted by Contact Energy's world-first "Green Borrowing Programme" to fund geothermal power generation assets, and the City of Auckland's 2018 bond for electric trains.
• There is a stark contrast in climate policy between the two nations: New Zealand has committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, while Australia has made little progress since signing the Paris Agreement in 2015, with competing narratives hindering energy sector investment.
• Australia's AUD 2.6tn superannuation market is expected to underpin future demand for green bonds as funds respond to the Task Force on Climate-related Disclosures.

APA

Climate Bonds Initiative (2018). Australia and New Zealand Briefing. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Australia-New-Zealand-Green-Finance-Briefing_2025-02-17-163144_xauy.pdf

Chicago

Climate Bonds Initiative. Australia and New Zealand Briefing. 2018. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Australia-New-Zealand-Green-Finance-Briefing_2025-02-17-163144_xauy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Bonds Initiative |title=Australia and New Zealand Briefing |date=August 2018 |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Australia-New-Zealand-Green-Finance-Briefing_2025-02-17-163144_xauy.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatebondsinitiative2018australia, author = {{Climate Bonds Initiative}}, title = {{Australia and New Zealand Briefing}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Australia-New-Zealand-Green-Finance-Briefing_2025-02-17-163144_xauy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }