The Sustainable Bond Framework (Framework), produced by the Ministry of Finance, is in accordance to best international paractices, and through this, Chile issues Social, Green and Sustainable bonds. This Framework is an update of the Green Bond Framework published by the Ministry of Finance in 2019.

The publication of this Framework builds on several measures that the Ministry of Finance has implemented in recent years that have allowed it to diversify the investor base of government debt. These measures include adjustments that facilitated the direct participation of foreign investors in local currency primary market debt issuances, as well as the issuance of green bonds which have broadened the investor base towards investors with environmental, social and governance (ESG) mandates.

According to the International Capital Market Association (ICMA), social bonds are debt instruments that finance or refinance eligible social projects, completely or partially. On the other hand, green bonds are debt instruments that fund or refinance initiatives for climate change mitigation, adaptation and environment protection. Finally, sustainable bonds are debt instruments that finance both social and green projects.

The objective of the Framework is to further diversify the instruments issued by the State, establishing a standard for local issuers as well as promoting the funding of concrete initiatives that favor sustainable development, that is, projects that support the most vulnerable as well as those that protect the environment.

The development of the Sustainable Bond Framework and the selection of the eligible portfolio is the result of a coordinated work led by the Ministry of Finance and the valuable support of the Inter-American Development Bank.

The Sustainable Bond Framework establishes the following categories for eligible projects:

Green Categories:

• Clean Transportation
• Energy Efficiency
• Renewable energy
• Living natural resources, land use and marine protected areas
• Efficient and climate resilient water management
• Green buildings (ecological buildings)

Social Categories:

• Support for the elderly or people with special needs in a vulnerable situation
• Support for low-income families
• Support for human rights victims
• Support for the community through job creation
• Access to affordable housing
• Access to education
• Food security
• Access to essential health services
• Social programs designed to prevent and/or alleviate unemployment derived from socioeconomic crises, including through the potential effect of financing SMEs and micro finances

The categories and definitions established in the Framework are in line with International Capital Markets Association (ICMA) standards and achieved the highest qualification in Vigeo Eiris’ (VE) second party opinion. In its SPO report, VE qualified Chile’s ESG performance as “Advanced”, highlighting the social responsibility and institutional areas.