Developments and commentary in and around the ESG investment space.

UOB, HSBC
Singapore-based United Overseas Bank and HSBC have acted as “green loan coordinators” on club loan facilities of HK$1.85 billion ($237 million) to a consortium led by Gaw Capital Partners.

These facilities are made up of an HK$853 million offshore loan and an RMB837 million ($130.92 million) onshore loan. Maybank, BNP Paribas and KGI also participated in the club deal.

The proceeds of the loan will be used to refinance existing loans for the consortium’s acquisition of four premium office buildings  at Shanghai MixC, a set of quadruplet eight-storey buildings in Minhang District, Shanghai, China.

The buildings have received the LEED v4 Building Operations and Maintenance: Existing Buildings Gold certification from the US Green Building Council for their environmentally-friendly features. 

The loan facilities support the consortium’s continued efforts to implement its sustainability strategy for improving environmental performance and its contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals, UOB said in a statement.

“Green and energy-efficient features will increasingly be the norm for premium office buildings as we transition into a low carbon economy,” Christine Ip, chief executive, Greater China, UOB, said.