It isn’t easy being green for a bond ETF (WSJ)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/it-isnt-easy-being-green-for-a-bond-etf-1544410920

Consider green bonds, issued by governments, banks, municipalities and corporations. The bonds aim to negate the effects of climate change by financing “green” assets in energy, water, heavy industry and the like. Over the past 11 years, some $500 billion in green bonds have been issued, including $138 billion in 2018 through November, the Climate Bonds Initiative says.

On top of that, the money raised from green bonds isn’t linked directly to a specific project or property, so it is up to issuers to update investors on how the money is being used.

Author: Christopher K. Merker, Ph.D., CFA

Christopher K. Merker, PhD, CFA, is a director with Private Asset Management at Robert W. Baird & Co. and executive-in-residence and co-director of the Marquette S-Lab. He is also founder and chair of the board of Water + Energy Forward, a green bank focused on market-based climate solutions. He holds a PhD in investment governance and fiduciary effectiveness from Marquette University, where he has taught “Sustainable Finance” since 2009. He publishes Sustainable Finance and is co-author of The Trustee Governance Guide: The Five Imperatives of 21st Century Investing.