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Bazalgette Tunnel’s £75 million fixed-rate senior secured green notes score E1/95 under S&P Global Ratings’ Green Evaluation, covered by the specialist press

S&P Global Ratings has assigned Bazalgette Tunnel Ltd’s £75 million fixed-rate senior secured green note issuance a score of E1/95 under its Green Evaluation, representing the highest score on the E1-E4 scale. Proceeds from the issuance will be used to design, build and maintain the Thames Tideway Tunnel in London.

Noemie de la Gorce, the primary analyst of the Green Evaluation, commented on the “positive environmental impact from the increase of available fresh water in the tidal Thames from wastewater treatment, as well as carbon savings.”

Following Moorgate’s outreach, news of the Green Evaluation was covered by WaterBriefing and The Water Report and Global Legal Chronicle.

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S&P Global Ratings considers the outlook for Latin America’s utilities for The Energy Industry Times

In an article for The Energy Industry Times, S&P Global Ratings’ Julyana Yokota, senior director and sector lead, Infrastructure and Utilities, Latin America, argues that solid, transparent and predictable regulatory structures are keeping the region’s utilities on track.

Though policy uncertainty remains for some countries, many are mandating minimum renewable energy targets, argues Yokota. And, in turn, autonomous and stable regulatory structures are as vital as ever for the region’s utilities to continue their steady operating performance.

Please click here for the full article.

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Robust regulation could support Latin America’s energy transition, writes S&P Global Ratings’ Julyana Yokota in World of Renewables

The presence of new administrations across Latin America has mounted concerns over whether wholesale regulatory and policy reform could fundamentally alter the pace of the region’s energy transition.

But Julyana Yokota, senior director and sector lead, Infrastructure and Utilities, Latin America, S&P Global Ratings, recently wrote for World of Renewables, to highlight that the region’s robust regulatory frameworks will, in fact, likely support the region’s transition to renewable energy.

“Frameworks for the energy sector are becoming more robust, with energy utilities operating under increasingly credit-supportive regulatory frameworks,” Yokota argues. “Coupled with growing political support, we may see promising conditions for the energy transition to take hold.”

To read the full article, please click here.

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S&P Global Ratings report considers the green credentials of telecom bonds, covered by the specialist press

As the green finance market continues to expand, new sectors such as telecommunications have started to issue green bonds and capitalise on investor demand for sustainable financial instruments, according to a recent report by S&P Global Ratings.

Labeled green bond offerings to date include three significant issuances by telecom giants Telefonica, Verizon, and Vodafone. But some investors have expressed concern that green bonds issued by telecom companies fund projects that could be described as “business as usual” and that lack environmental “additionality”.

In the report, S&P attempts to gauge the environmental contribution of the bonds issued in the sector thus far, issuing these bonds a score based on public information using its Green Evaluation analytical approach.

Following outreach by Moorgate, news of the report was covered by the following specialist press: Mobile Europe, Environmental Finance and Environmental Leader.

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ESG pressures weigh heavily on auto industry, says S&P Global Ratings’ Vittoria Ferraris in Automotive World

As environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations continue to be pushed to the fore of investors’ considerations, the automotive industry is feeling the pressure.

Speaking to Automotive World, Vittoria Ferraris, Senior Director, S&P Global Ratings, warns that while the industry has long dealt with pressures relating to the environmental impact of their products, these will be felt more strongly than ever, with growing numbers of climate-related regulation—and subsequent fines for non-compliance—threatening to reduce profitability. What’s more, as ESG considerations proliferate, the automotive sector is increasingly addressing social and governance factors as well.

To read the full article, please click here (behind paywall).

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GCC corporate issuer ratings to remain stable despite U.S.-Iran tension, says S&P Global Ratings, covered by the specialist press

In a recent report, S&P Global Ratings has addressed the questions playing on the minds of investors over the past few weeks: how likely is an escalation of U.S.-Iran tensions, and how would it impact financial institutions and governments in GCC countries?

“While we don’t expect the current geopolitical tensions to lead to any rating actions under our base-case scenario,” explained Timucin Engin, Senior Director, S&P Global Ratings, “we do expect corporates in some sectors to face some operating weakness arising from the geopolitical tensions.”

Following outreach by Moorgate, the report was covered by Trade Arabia, Arabian Business, Gulf News, Islamic Business and Finance, and Banker Middle East.

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S&P Global Ratings discusses Spanish utilities regulatory review with Infrastructure Investor

Following the announcement of Spain’s National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC)’s plans for the new regulatory period, S&P Global Ratings’ Massimo Schiavo and Gerardo Leal gave an exclusive comment to Infrastructure Investor on the impact of the update on the credit quality of utilities in the country.

“This is harsher than we were expecting,” said Schiavo of the regulatory review, which could see revenues reduced by up to 22% for gas distribution and transmission companies.

Please click here for the full article (behind paywall).

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ESG awareness can help entities stay ahead of the curve, says S&P Global Ratings’ Michael Ferguson for GLIO

As focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors increases due to their potential impact on profit margins, Michael Ferguson, Director, Sustainable Finance at S&P Global Ratings, explores some of the most pressing risks affecting infrastructure classes, as well as the ESG opportunities that are being unearthed in the latest edition of GLIO.

“As ESG awareness and disclosure practices take root,” says Ferguson, “entities across the sector could be both better prepared for longer term, emerging ESG risks and able to anticipate strategic opportunities, rather than playing catch-up.”

To read the full article, please click here.

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Green finance set to blossom in the GCC, says S&P Global Ratings’ Timucin Engin for Renewables Investor

Writing for Renewables Investor, Timucin Engin, Senior Director, GCC Region at S&P Global Ratings, considers the growing support for sustainable finance across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

While the green bond market in the GCC is still in its infancy, Engin argues that the region’s huge investment in renewables – which serves both to alleviate the pressures of falling oil prices and further promote sustainable practices among GCC members – could spur transactions funded via green finance.

To read the article, please click here.

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S&P Global Ratings comments on Ofwat updates, covered by the specialist press

Last week, U.K. water regulator Ofwat confirmed its plans to sharply reduce the returns available to water companies over the next five years.

S&P Global Ratings’ director Matan Benjamin comments that the proposals will result in a cut in allowed cost of capital in real terms to around 2.2% from 3.4% in the current regulatory period. He continues that the latest announcement from Ofwat “provides another indication that the next regulatory period for water utilities could be challenging”.

Following outreach by Moorgate, the comments were covered by InfraNews (behind paywall) and Environment Analyst (requires subscription).