Bloomberg — Colombian officials are talking to investors this week about their framework for issuing environmental, social and governance labeled securities in the coming months, according to people familiar with the matter.
Members of the Finance Ministry, including Public Credit Director Jose Roberto Acosta, are meeting with investors in New York and London to explain the country’s ESG plans, said the people, who requested anonymity because the meetings are private. While the roadshow isn’t linked to a specific transaction, the government is testing interest for a social or a green bond, they said.
The issuance, which would be Colombia’s first in global capital markets under an ESG framework, could come as soon as this year, the people said.
A representative for the Finance Ministry declined to comment.
The junk-rated South American nation has been selling green bonds denominated in pesos in its local market since 2021. Regional higher-rated peers Chile and Mexico frequently tap international markets with offerings tied to ESG goals.
The meetings comes as Brazil, another junk-rated sovereign, also readies its first-ever sustainable bond that will target several green and social initiatives linked to the United Nations 2030 sustainable development agenda.
In the last few years, Ecuador has sold social bonds, which are meant to address or mitigate a specific issue such as housing or education.
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