LONDON & PARIS-- July 01, 2021 -- Moody’s ESG Solutions announced today that V.E has provided a Second Party Opinion (SPO) on the United Kingdom (UK) government’s Green Financing Framework and Issuance.

The SPO assesses four main components: the level of contribution to sustainability, the framework’s alignment with international standards, its coherence with the issuer’s strategic sustainability priorities, and the issuer’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance.

“Proceeds from the green financing instruments issued under the UK’s framework will provide a ‘robust’ contribution to sustainability, the second-highest level on our four-point scale,” said Patrick Mispagel, Managing Director - Sustainable Finance at Moody’s ESG Solutions. “The UK is vulnerable to the impact of climate change, particularly flooding and coastal change that may cause risks to communities, businesses and infrastructure. We expect the UK’s financing of climate adaptation projects to increase its resilience and capacity to adapt to climate change, with a positive impact on all relevant stakeholders.”

In V.E’s opinion, the framework and portfolio of eligible expenditures are aligned with the four core components of the Green Bond Principles 2021 (GBP). The project categories are likely to contribute to six of the GBP’s environmental objectives, and nine of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

V.E considers the Green Financing Framework to be ‘coherent’ with the UK’s strategic sustainability priorities, such as mitigating risks relating to water shortages, natural capital and public health. The framework will also help the UK achieve its environmental commitments and goals, including stimulating private sector financial flows towards greener and cleaner sectors.

The UK government’s Sovereign Sustainability Rating from V.E is 81/100, which indicates an ‘advanced’ ESG performance, the highest level on V.E’s four-point scale. The UK ranks 8th out of 178 countries, and 7th out of 37 OECD countries, assessed by V.E.

V.E’s SPOs on sustainability credentials help market participants secure financing through sustainable bonds and loans, strengthen issuers’ and projects’ credibility, and give investors confidence. To date, V.E has provided more than 330 SPOs - including award-winning and pioneering missions - on sustainable financing operations in over 30 countries. V.E has provided SPOs for sovereign issuers including France, Italy, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, Mexico and Andorra. To learn more, please visit moodys.com/sustainable-finance.