Published on: May 8, 2023
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In the past decade, we have witnessed a dramatic shift in the investment landscape as environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues have taken center stage. ESG, once limited to ethical investors, has gained mainstream adoption due to increasing awareness of sustainability challenges and changing investor expectations. This is fueled by the investors' focus on risk management and alignment with societal goals.
Likewise, SME lenders are recognizing this growing global emphasis on sustainability and climate change. They are joining the ESG movement by adding Sustainability-Linked Loans (SLLs) to their portfolios. This endeavor is not solely aimed at enhancing their reputation but also to capitalize on the financial and social advantages it offers.
An SLL is a type of loan in which the sustainability performance of the borrower is linked to an economic outcome. To illustrate, if a borrower with an SLL achieves specific ESG objectives set by the lender, the interest charged on the loan will decrease. This means that the interest rate charged on a debt instrument will align with the borrowing company's sustainability performance and rating. However, if the company falls short of these targets, the borrower will pay a higher interest rate.
SLLs encourage companies to decrease their borrowing expenses by improving their sustainability practices, while also helping lenders minimize their environmental and social risks.
By incorporating ESG into loans, lenders can establish themselves as responsible leaders and may even attract a new customer base. SME borrowers with a strong focus on ESG values seek lenders that align with their ESG criteria, representing a new revenue stream for lenders.
SMEs with significant ESG visions and missions may consider a lender specifically for their ESG criteria. Including ESG principles can help enhance SMEs' credit analysis performance. It identifies potential risks and opportunities related to environmental and social factors that may impact the borrower's creditworthiness. For example, a company with a high carbon footprint may be exposed to regulatory risks related to climate change, which could negatively affect its credit rating. These previously mentioned benefits can be viewed as short-term incentives.
One example of a long-term incentive is regulatory advantages, which have become increasingly prevalent in the European Union. To remain competitive in today's market, lenders must stay ahead of the regulatory curve and anticipate future demands. By adhering to future regulations, lenders can position themselves to harvest regulatory advantages that may arise. For example, being able to offer government-backed loans, which provides protection to lenders in case of defaults on payments. As a result, due to the reduced risk lenders can offer lower interest rates to potential ESG-friendly borrowers, making it easier for borrowers to obtain the loan.
SME lenders can execute their SLL (Sustainability-Linked Loans) strategy in different ways. One way could be by labelling their borrowers into various categories. Lenders may choose to label borrowers into various categories for several reasons, such as risk assessment and pricing of loans. By categorizing borrowers, lenders can differentiate between high and low-risk borrowers, which allows them to set appropriate interest rates and fees for each category.
Usually, lenders divide their prospects into categories such as A, B, and C depending on the company's goals and advantages in terms of sustainability. Suppose the company does not adhere to any of the minimum sustainability guidelines then the customer is rejected for a loan due to ethical issues, or –might pay a higher interest rate until the company starts to adhere to the sustainability guidelines.
The truth is that although we call them ESG loans, SLL lending is more related to E as in environmental. Categorizing borrowers based on social (S) and governance (G) factors can be more challenging for lenders in SLL lending due to the lack of standardization, complexity, and subjectivity of the evaluation. Despite this, there are lenders who go a step further in their ESG efforts by addressing the social aspect. One way they can do this is by promoting greater inclusivity, such as offering reduced interest rates to female entrepreneurs.
The trend of obtaining loans aligned with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria is gaining popularity, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) benefit from the financial values.
As sustainability continues to be a top priority, lenders can anticipate receiving more significant regulatory advantages for offering SLLs or complying with green finance regulations. This presents a promising future for both borrowers and lenders, as ESG lending can help businesses positively impact the environment and society while achieving their financial goals.
At five°degrees, we understand that climate change presents one of the most significant challenges to our planet today.
Therefore, when creating our cloud-native banking platform, we made deliberate design principles to support sustainable practices and contribute to the advancement of green finance. Our core banking solution has been designed to enable a remarkable reduction in carbon footprint compared to traditional on-premises computing equivalents.
We are committed to providing our clients with a SaaS platform that delivers cutting-edge technology, supports sustainable practices, and contributes to a greener future.
