IFC Invests in Mongolia’s First Ever Green Bond

In a bid to spur green and renewable energy projects in Mongolia, IFC is investing in a green bond to be issued by the country’s largest commercial financial institution, Khan Bank, which is the first-ever green bond to be issued in the country.

IFC is investing $15 million in the $60 million, five-year bond and the offering has attracted another $45 million from international investors, including $35 million from Dutch entrepreneurial development bank (FMO), and $10 million from MicroVest Capital Management (MicroVest). This investment will allow the bank to grow its climate portfolio by funding projects that support renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, green mobility, and climate-smart agriculture in Mongolia. IFC’s subscription will also contribute to improved sustainability of the country’s financial market.

Mongolia is a country facing significant environmental challenges. Air pollution levels in its capital Ulaanbaatar are among the highest in the world, with coal and wood burning in homes and coal power plants all contributing to the pollution. The country has also experienced significant climate change, with average temperatures increasing higher than the global average. Rainfall has also declined with more extreme climate driven hazards, including heat waves, droughts and river floods, all expected to put pressure on the country’s unique fragile ecosystem.

IFC’s investment in Khan Bank’s green bond is expected to support Mongolia’s goal to increase green lending from 1.4 percent at present to 10 percent of all banking sector lending by 2030. In addition, the project is expected to help mitigate climate change by avoiding tens of thousands of tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

“Green finance is a priority for the bank. With the steadfast support of our longstanding partners, IFC, FMO, and MicroVest, Khan Bank, as the largest bank in Mongolia, is proud to issue Mongolia’s first-ever green bond. This transaction marks a significant milestone for our bank and Mongolia’s banking sector to promote green financing and sustainable economy. This investment will enable us to provide long-term loans to our clients and help us diversify our funding sources,” said Munkhtuya Rentsenbat, CEO, Khan Bank. “We are committed to working with IFC and other partners to introduce more innovative financial instruments in the market.”

IFC advised Khan Bank on adopting a green bond framework for this issuance and plans to help the bank develop more climate and gender finance products. Earlier this year, Khan Bank received a $130 million syndicated loan arranged by IFC to support micro, small, and medium enterprises, especially women-owned businesses, in Mongolia.

“This marks an historic move for Mongolia and vital to help the country deliver on its climate ambitions,” said Allen Forlemu, Regional Industry Director, Financial Institutions Group, Asia & the Pacific, IFC,” Green bonds are an effective way to draw in funding to finance green projects for the benefit of the country and its people. By supporting the country’s first green bond, in line with international standards, IFC is helping set a standard in the market and we hope it will send a strong signal to other banks and corporates to tap into green finance and develop projects that will help the country meet its climate and development goals.”

“We are thrilled to contribute to this first-of-its-kind green bond issuance in Mongolia, once again extending our cooperation with our long-term partner Khan Bank,” said Marnix Monsfort, Director Financial Institutions at FMO. “Through this bond—provided to the largest bank in the country reaching 82 percent of Mongolian households—we hope this paves the way for more sustainable green bond instruments across the country, contributing to significant climate action. Therefore, this transaction is fully aligned with our strategy to accelerate action towards climate change, contributing to SDG 13. FMO looks forward to intensifying our partnership with Khan Bank as they strengthen their green strategy.”

“As a long-term partner of Khan Bank, MicroVest is incredibly proud to participate in the Bank’s issuance of Mongolia’s first Green Bond,” said Joshua Moraczewski, Chief Executive Officer at MicroVest. “This offering represents a significant milestone that will help drive a low-carbon, climate-resilient future for Mongolia and facilitate the establishment of green initiatives while making progress toward net-zero targets.”

Mongolia has committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 22.7 percent by 2030.

The annual financing required to achieve Mongolia’s green development targets is estimated to be $413 million, with 80 percent from international investors and private sector players.

IFC has been a strong supporter of Mongolia’s sustainable finance development in the past decade. IFC helped the country develop and adopt the Environmental and Social risk management requirements for commercial banks. IFC also helped formulate Mongolia’s Green Bond Regulation and Guideline documents, enabling the issuance of green bonds in the local market.

Globally, IFC is one of the world’s largest financiers of climate-smart projects for developing countries and one of the earliest issuers of green bonds. As of December 31, 2022, IFC issued $11.6 billion across 187 bonds in 20 currencies.