Damu Fund received a prestigious international award for issuing the debut “green” bond in Kazakhstan
At the 6th annual Climate Bonds Awards in 2021, Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund JSC (Damu Fund) was recognized as one of the leading organizations in the world that promoted green finance. In addition to the Damu Fund, among the twenty-three nominees are such companies as EBRD, KfW, Société du Grand Paris, Volkswagen, Alphabet Inc., Sustainalytics, Freddie Mac.
The Climate Bonds Awards (London, UK) is a premier international recognition of leadership, excellence and innovation in green and sustainable finance, including green bonds, loans, sukuk and significant market changes in climate investment. The award was initiated by the international non-profit organization Climate Bonds Initiative.
The “Green Market Pioneer” award was received by the Damu Fund for the issue of “green” bonds issued on the site of the Astana International Financial Center with the support of UNDP and the AIFC Green Finance Center (GFC) on August 11, 2020.
The GFC has provided full support of the project and an external review in the form of Second Party Opinion which is based on the assessment of the alignment of Issuer’s Green Bond Framework with the AIX Green Bonds Rules.
The funds raised by issuing “green” bonds were allocated to finance the construction of a solar power plant in the Turkestan region.
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The Astana International Financial Centre was created by the initiative of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Leader of the Nation, Nur-Sultan Nazarbayev as part of the “100 steps to implement five institutional reforms” national program. The Centre’s development strategy until 2025 was approved by the Management council of the AIFC during the council’s meeting on July 2, 2020. In accordance with the strategy, the vision of AIFC is in becoming the leading financial centre in the region that includes Central Asia, the Caucasus, EAEU countries, western China, Mongolia, and Eastern Europe.
The mission of the AIFC is to assist the sustainable and long term development of the region. As the head of state Tokayev noted, “AIFC, with its unique opportunities, can act as a universal platform that connects the countries in the region.”
Climate Bonds Initiative is an international organisation that aims to mobilize capital markets through the green bond market to address the challenges of climate change.
