The Next Green Bond Wave: Should Ottawa Step In?

Canada’s Green Bond Market Poised to Surge

• Canada’s green bond market is poised to regain momentum as the economy recovers from COVID, according to a new report by Glen Hodgson.
• Green bond issues were surging prior to the pandemic, with US$257.7 billion issued globally in 2019 and C$9.25 billion in Canada. Hodgson notes Canada has seen the green bond market grow rapidly over the past five years, growing by 63 percent in 2019 alone.
• The report supports Ottawa’s involvement in green bonds as it would allow the federal government to set standards and create a baseline price, creating an environment where green bonds at the private level are traded properly in a functioning market.