REPORT REVIEW
Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget I Norden AB
Sustainable Bond Report
Sustainable Bond Impact Report SBB Norden
19 April 2024
VERIFICATION PARAMETERS
Type(s) of reporting
Relevant standard(s)
Scope of verification
- Sustainable Bond Impact Report
- Harmonized Framework for Impact Reporting (HFIR), updated June 2023, as administered by International Capital Market Association (ICMA)
- Harmonized Framework for Impact Reporting for Social Bonds (HFIRSB), updated June 2023, administered by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA)
- SBB Norden's Sustainable Bond Impact Report (as of April 4, 2024)
- SBB Norden's Sustainable Financing Framework (as of October 28, 2020)
- Bond(s) identification:
Green Bonds
ISIN | Bond Maturity | Issuance Amount |
SE0012256741 | 14.02.2024 | SEK 187.5m |
SE0014965919 | 12.04.2024 | SEK 321.25m |
XS2111589219 | 30.01.2027 | SEK 600m |
Social Bonds | ||
ISIN | Bond Maturity | Issuance Amount |
XS2271332285 | 14.12.2028 | EUR 700m |
XS2275409824 | 18.12.2025 | SEK 145m |
© 2024 | Institutional Shareholder Services and/or its affiliates
R E P O R T R E V I E W
Sustainable Bond Developments SBB Norden
Lifecycle
Validity
XS2346224806 | 26.11.2029 | EUR 950m |
XS2438632874 | 08.02.2024 | EUR 558.83m |
XS2461738770 | 11.04.2025 | EUR 260m |
Social Hybrid | ||
ISIN | Bond Maturity | Issuance Amount |
XS2010028186 | 30.01.2027 | EUR 439.3m |
- Post-issuanceverification
- As long as no changes are undertaken by the Issuer to its Sustainable Bond Impact Report as of April 4, 2024
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C O N T E N T S
PART I: ALIGNMENT WITH COMMITMENTS SET FORTH IN THE SUSTAINABLE FINANCING | |
PART II: ASSESSMENT AGAINST THE ICMA HARMONIZED FRAMEWORK FOR IMPACT | |
PART III: DISCLOSURE OF PROCEEDS ALLOCATION AND SOUNDNESS OF THE IMPACT | |
REPORTING INDICATORS | 18 |
ANNEX 1: Methodology | 25 |
ANNEX 2: Quality management processes | 26 |
About this Report Review | 27 |
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Sustainable Bond Developments SBB Norden
SCOPE OF WORK
Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget I Norden AB ("the Issuer" or "SBB Norden") commissioned ISS- Corporate to provide a Report Review1 on its Sustainable Bond Impact Report by assessing:
- The alignment of SBB Norden's Sustainable Bond Impact Report with the commitments set forth in SBB Norden Sustainable Financing Framework (as of October 28, 2020).2
- SBB Norden's Sustainable Bond Impact Report - benchmarked against ICMA Harmonized Framework for Impact Reporting (HFIR), updated June 2023, and ICMA Harmonized Framework for Impact Reporting for Social Bonds (HFIRSB), updated June 2023.
- The disclosure of proceeds allocation and soundness of reporting indicators - whether the impact metrics align with best market practices and are relevant to the Sustainable Bond issued.
- A limited or reasonable assurance is not provided on the information presented in SBB Norden Sustainable Bond Impact Report. A review of the use of proceeds' allocation and impact reporting is solely conducted against ICMA's Standards (Green Bond/Social Bond Principles) core principles and recommendations where applicable, and the criteria outlined in the underlying Framework. The assessment is solely based on the information provided in the allocation and impact reporting. The Issuer is responsible for the preparation of the report including the application of methods and internal control procedures designed to ensure that the subject matter information is free from material misstatement.
- The Framework was assessed as aligned with the Green Bond Principles/Social Bond Principles as of November 24, 2020.
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ASSESSMENT SUMMARY
REVIEW | SUMMARY | EVALUATION |
SECTION | ||
Part 1.
Alignment withthe Issuer's commitments set forth in theFramework
SBB Norden's Sustainable Bond Impact Report meets the Issuer's commitments set forth in the Sustainable Financing Framework. The proceeds have been used to (re)finance Green Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Access toAligned Essential Services and Affordable Housing in accordance
with the eligibility criteria defined in the Framework.
Part 2. | The Sustainable Bond Impact Report is in line with | |||
Alignment with | ICMA's HFIR. The Issuer follows core principles and | |||
where applicable key recommendations. | ||||
the HFIR and | Aligned | |||
HFIRSB | The Sustainable Bond Impact Report is in line with | |||
ICMA's HFIRSB. The Issuer follows core principles and | ||||
where applicable key recommendations. | ||||
Part 3. | The allocation of the bond's proceeds has been | |||
Disclosure of | disclosed, with a detailed breakdown across different | |||
eligible asset as proposed in the Framework.3 | ||||
proceeds | ||||
allocation and | SBB Norden's Sustainable Bond Impact Report has | Positive | ||
soundness of | adopted an appropriate methodology to report the | |||
reporting | impact generated by providing comprehensive | |||
indicators | disclosure on data sourcing, calculations methodologies | |||
and granularity reflecting best market practices. | ||||
3 The assessment is based on the information provided in the Issuer's report. The Issuer is responsible for the preparation of the report including the application of methods and procedures designed to ensure that the subject matter information is free from material misstatement.
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REPORT REVIEW ASSESSMENT
PART I: ALIGNMENT WITH COMMITMENTS SET FORTH IN THE SUSTAINABLE FINANCING FRAMEWORK4
The following table evaluates the Sustainable Bond Impact Report against the commitments set forth in SBB Norden's Sustainable Financing Framework, which are based on the core requirements of the Green Bond Principles/Social Bond Principles as well as best market practices.
GBP/SBP | OPINION | ALIGNMENT | ||||||||
WITH | ||||||||||
COMMITME | ||||||||||
NT | ||||||||||
1. | Use of | SBB Norden confirms to follow the Use of Proceeds' | ||||||||
description provided by SBB's Sustainable Financing | ||||||||||
Proceeds | ||||||||||
Framework. The report is in line with the initial | ||||||||||
commitments set in SBB's Sustainable Financing | ||||||||||
Framework. The proceeds have been used to (re)finance | ||||||||||
Green Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Access to Essential | ||||||||||
Services and Affordable Housing. | ||||||||||
The Issuer's green and social categories align with the | ||||||||||
project categories and are in accordance with the | ||||||||||
eligibility criteria set in the SBB's Sustainable Financing | ||||||||||
Framework. Environmental and social benefits at the | ||||||||||
asset level are described. | ||||||||||
The Issuer discloses the amount of proceeds allocated at | ||||||||||
portfolio level in the impact report and confirms that | ||||||||||
100% of the proceeds (SEK 1,108.75 m for Green Bonds, | ||||||||||
EUR 2,463m and SEK 145m for Social Bonds, and EUR 439 | ||||||||||
for Hybrid Bond) are allocated to refinancing, in line with | ||||||||||
the best market practices. Moreover, the Issuer did not | ||||||||||
finance any project from the exclusion list defined in the | ||||||||||
Framework. | ||||||||||
2. | Process for | SBB Norden confirms to follow the Process for Project | ||||||||
Evaluation and Selection description provided by SBB | ||||||||||
Project | ||||||||||
Norden's Sustainable Financing Framework. The report is | ||||||||||
Evaluation | ||||||||||
in line with the initial commitments set in | SBB's | |||||||||
4 SBB Sustainable Financing Framework was assessed as aligned with the GBP/SBP (as of October 28, 2020) as of November 24, 2020.
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and | Sustainable Financing Framework. The selection of | |||||||||||
Selection | Eligible Green | and Social | Assets | is managed by a | ||||||||
dedicated Sustainable Financing Committee consisting | ||||||||||||
of SBB Chief Executive Officer, SBB Chief Financial Officer, | ||||||||||||
SBB Technical Manager, SBB Head of Sustainability, and | ||||||||||||
SBB Head of Finance. A list of Eligible Assets is kept by | ||||||||||||
the Sustainable Financing Committee and the Head of | ||||||||||||
Finance is responsible for keeping this list up to date. The | ||||||||||||
list of Eligible Assets is monitored on a regular basis as | ||||||||||||
long as there are Sustainable Financing Instruments | ||||||||||||
outstanding to ensure that the proceeds are sufficiently | ||||||||||||
allocated to Eligible Assets and that these assets | ||||||||||||
continue to meet the Eligibility Criteria described in the | ||||||||||||
Use of Proceeds section. | ||||||||||||
The projects selected are defined and structured in a | ||||||||||||
congruous manner. The Issuer ensures compliance with | ||||||||||||
the Eligibility Criteria. ESG risks associated with the | ||||||||||||
project categories are identified and managed through | ||||||||||||
an appropriate process. | ||||||||||||
3. | Manageme | SBB | Norden | confirms to | follow | the Process | for | |||||
Management of Proceeds description provided by SBB | ||||||||||||
nt of | ||||||||||||
Norden's Sustainable Financing Framework. The report is | ||||||||||||
Proceeds | ||||||||||||
in line with the initial commitments set in SBB's | ||||||||||||
Sustainable Financing Framework. | ||||||||||||
The proceeds collected represent 100% of the amount | ||||||||||||
allocated to eligible projects, with no exceptions. | ||||||||||||
Unallocated proceeds are equal to 0%. The proceeds are | ||||||||||||
tracked in an appropriate manner and attested in a | ||||||||||||
formal internal process. | ||||||||||||
Moreover, the Issuer disclosed the balance of | ||||||||||||
unallocated proceeds within the frequency defined in the | ||||||||||||
Framework, in line with best market practice. | ||||||||||||
4. | Reporting | SBB | Norden's | Sustainable | Bond | Impact Report | is | |||||
coherent with the Reporting description provided by SBB | ||||||||||||
Norden's Sustainable Financing Framework. The report is | ||||||||||||
in line with the initial commitments set in SBB's | ||||||||||||
Sustainable Financing Framework. The Issuer annually | ||||||||||||
published an Allocation and Impact Report on its Green | ||||||||||||
and Social Bonds. | ||||||||||||
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The sections "Allocation Reporting" and "Impact | ||||||
Reporting" of the Sustainable Bond Impact Report | ||||||
comply with the pre-issuance commitment expressed in | ||||||
the Framework. The report is intended to be publicly | ||||||
available.5 | ||||||
Further analysis of this section is available in Part III of this | ||||||
report. | ||||||
5. Verification | SPO-ISS Corporate has provided a Second Party Opinion (SPO) on SBB | |||||
Norden's Sustainable Financing Framework on November 24, 2020. | ||||||
5 SBB Norden Sustainable Bond Impact Report:https://corporate.sbbnorden.se/en/sustainable-bonds/
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Sustainable Bond Developments SBB Norden
PART II: ASSESSMENT AGAINST THE ICMA HARMONIZED FRAMEWORK FOR IMPACT REPORTING FOR GREEN AND SOCIAL BONDS
FOR GREEN BONDS
Reporting is a core component of the Green Bond Principles and transparency is of particular value in communicating the expected and/or achieved impact of projects in the form of an annual reporting. Green bond Issuers are required to report on both the use of green bond proceeds, as well as the environmental impacts at least on an annual basis until full allocation or maturity of the bond. ICMA's Harmonized Framework for Impact Reporting (HFIR) has been chosen as benchmark for this analysis as it represents the most widely adopted standard.
The table below evaluates SBB Norden Sustainable Bond Impact Report against ICMA HFIR.
CORE PRINCIPLES
ICMA HFIR | SUSTAINABLE BOND DEVELOPMENTS | ASSESSMENT | |||||||||
SBB has reported within one year from issuance | |||||||||||
since 2021. SBB Norden has not issued any | |||||||||||
Green Bonds in 2023 but has reported the total | |||||||||||
Reporting on an | amount of | outstanding Green | Bonds | which | |||||||
amount to SEK 1,011,250,000 as of December 31, | |||||||||||
annual basis | |||||||||||
2023, originating from bonds issued in 2019 and | |||||||||||
2020. All the proceeds have been fully allocated. | |||||||||||
The report will be available on SBB Norden's | |||||||||||
website.6 | |||||||||||
The assessment and measurement of the | |||||||||||
impacts generated by SBB Norden Green Bonds | |||||||||||
covered the following areas: | |||||||||||
Illustrating the | ▪ Energy Use (kWh/m2); | ||||||||||
environmental impacts | ▪ Estimated annual GHG emissions | ||||||||||
or outcomes | reduced or avoided for buildings (tCO2e); | ||||||||||
▪ Green buildings certification and degree | |||||||||||
of | certification | (Miljöbyggnad, | |||||||||
Miljöbyggnad iDrift, Breeam In-Use and | |||||||||||
Energy Class A). | |||||||||||
6 SBB Norden Sustainable Bond Impact Report:https://corporate.sbbnorden.se/en/sustainable-bonds/
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SBB Norden has respected its ESG risk | |||||
management process in line with its framework. | |||||
Sustainability-related risks are integrated into | |||||
ordinary risk management, which is handled by | |||||
the management team, with the CEO being | |||||
ultimately responsible. A thorough risk analysis | |||||
regarding climate-related issues at the property | |||||
level was completed in 2021 and the risk analysis | |||||
was updated in 2022 to include properties | |||||
recently taken possession of and new | |||||
ESG Risk Management | knowledge regarding the risks. Both physical | ||||
and regulatory risks were assessed. SBB has also | |||||
produced an independent report accounting for | |||||
climate-related risks and opportunities in | |||||
accordance with the Task Force on Climate- | |||||
Related | Financial | Disclosures | (TCFD)'s | ||
recommendations. | The report is | revised | |||
annually, and the most current version is | |||||
available on SBB's website.7 The assets assessed | |||||
as high or very high risk are considered for | |||||
divestment. | |||||
Allocation of proceeds | SBB Norden has reported all its Green Bonds - | ||||
- Transparency on the | related cash-flows in one currency (Swedish | ||||
currency | Krona (SEK)). | ||||
RECOMMENDATIONS
ICMA HFIR | SUSTAINABLE BOND DEVELOPMENTS | ASSESSMENT | |
Define and | The entirety of proceeds has been allocated to | ||
disclose period | Green Assets. The Issuer has not added nor | ||
and process for | removed any seets. In the future, assets can be | ||
Project Evaluation | removed from, or added to, the eligible asset | ||
and Selection | portfolio when needed (i.e., sale of an asset | ||
allocated to Sustainable Bonds). However, these | |||
would be replaced by a new asset that comply | |||
with the eligibility criteria set forth in the | |||
Framework. | |||
The Issuer followed a transparent process for | |||
selection and evaluation of Eligible | Green | ||
7 SBB Norden Climate-related Risks and Opportunities TCFD Report 2023: https://corporate.sbbnorden.se/en/wp- content/uploads/sites/2/2021/09/tcfd-riskinventering-rapport-2023-eng.pdf
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Samhallsbyggnadsbolaget I Norden AB published this content on 22 April 2024 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 22 April 2024 08:09:10 UTC.