Post by account_disabled on Mar 10, 2024 3:29:42 GMT -6
The Mexican company Fibra Uno announced that it is the first company in the real estate sector in the country to have a syndicated revolving credit line linked to sustainability in Latin America, by obtaining financing equivalent to ,0 million pesos (with a tranche of up to for ,00 million pesos and another for up to 0 million dollars).
This margin is linked to the company's credit rating and the evolution of a sustainable indicator, which is energy consumption savings.
In an interview with ExpokNews, Jorge Pigeon, vice president of Investor Relations and Capital Markets, expressed that “if we speak colloquially, it would be said that this transaction is similar to being given a credit card worth . billion pesos for start spending, although in the end you must demonstrate that your investments were made under sustainability parameters.
He added that "in our case it will be under France Mobile Number List the energy efficiency scheme, since the commitment is to reduce the use of energy saved per square meter in the operations (properties) managed by the company", which range from shopping centers to offices, warehouses, apartments, etc.
Some of the actions to meet this objective will be changes to lighting fixtures, modification of structures, renewal of electrical connections, use of renewable energy, acquisition of smart lights, training of personnel, use of ecological materials, etc.
The director of Fibra Uno said that the central objective is to reduce energy consumption by % in all the facilities where they have influence, an issue that he classified as an enormous challenge, since Mexico is growing in energy consumption at a rate of % annually.
He clarified that the energy expenses by the companies established on these properties do not concern this Fibra Uno credit.
He exemplified that "if a steel foundry is placed on a certain land, its energy expenditure for its industrial processes is their responsibility."
It is worth mentioning that this is the first voluntary sustainable transaction of a company in the real estate sector in the region and the first syndicated transaction that is carried out under the “Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles” concepts in Latin America, which is accompanied by the banks BBVA (sole sustainable agent) and Banco Santander (sole administrative agent), acting as 'joint bookrunners' and 'lead arrangers' in this operation in which a total of banking entities participate.
He said that "we are confident, we are a company that is committed to the global, not just the local, therefore, requesting this credit for five years makes us leaders in this type of sustainable credit schemes on a voluntary basis."
He added that “if we return to the example of the credit card, if we consume less energy, the payment of returns is low, on the other hand, if you exceeded the consumption of electricity, therefore, you will pay more, in a nutshell, this will apply in this case.” .
The vice president of Investor Relations and Capital Markets assured that “a revolving credit line linked to sustainability and committed like this one allows us to financially shield the organization.”
“The possibility of having these resources at any time during the life of the loan is a key part of our financial strategy, as well as a sign of FUNO's commitment to the sustainable development of Mexico,” he explained.
This transaction is different from the international green bond scheme, which forces companies to bet on ecological projects in all areas, not in a specific sector, as in this case, which was decided to focus on energy efficiency.
Furthermore, this voluntary commitment is linked to the company's environmental performance and is aligned with the brand's 0-00 sustainability strategy.
He indicated that "without being arrogant, we can say that we are pioneers not in this type of credit, but in being a company that of its own volition establishes the sustainability schemes to comply with."
He mentioned that it will not affect them if the energy rates set by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) vary, since Fibra Uno is focused on saving Kilowatt/hour and its scheme does not focus on energy expenditure.
Vigeo Eiris, which served as the evaluation agency on sustainability issues, considers that the selected indicator is consistent with the rationale of a sustainable revolving credit line or RCF and is in line with FUNO's corporate environmental commitments.
The newly formalized sustainable revolving credit line has a term of years and replaces a line signed in 0 for an amount of ,000 million pesos (equivalent to around million dollars).
What is a loan linked to sustainability?
Sustainable credits are financing methods intended for projects by individuals and autonomous companies that have ecological purposes, from the purchase of an electric car to large energy use projects.
The main objective of green financial products is to maximize profitability for the investor in the medium and long term. The credit applicant must take into account environmental and social criteria, thus improving the “risk-return” of their credit, reports the European Union.
Banking opinions
Jorge Arce, Deputy General Director of Corporate & Investment Banking at Santander México, stated that “being able to work with FUNO and this group of prestigious banks to structure this revolving credit line (RCF) linked to sustainability was a great privilege.” and achievement for all involved.”
Álvaro Vaqueiro, Head of Corporate & Investment Banking at BBVA México, stated that: «the formalization of this loan linked to sustainability, the first in RCF format and the first in the real estate sector in Latin America, represents an important milestone for the bank, since it allows us to reinforce our leadership position in sustainable financing in the region.