With the PNRR which makes sustainability the cornerstone of our country’s future, green loans aimed at supporting the ecological transformation of Made in Italy companies have become the new mantra of credit institutions, highlighting how ESG issues have passed from being a factor little more than reputational for the business of the future. There are many proposals on the market: from Intesa Sanpaolo (which this week announced a new initiative in line with Sace) to Unicredit, from Banco Bpm to Credit Agricole Italia.
In detail, Intesa Sanpaolo has recently launched – after the S-Loan ESG and S-Loan diversity – the S-Loan climate change: these are loans for SMEs that invest to combat the effects of climate change. The S-Loans finance green investments up to 15 million for a maximum duration of 20 years, provide for a reduction in the rate and a donation from the bank for charitable purposes upon the achievement of at least two objectives and are backed by the Sace guarantee, issued through a simplified and digitized process. In all, Ca ‘de Sass has allocated 2 billion for S-Loans, of which over 1.5 billion have already been disbursed for SMEs. Since last December, as part of the Green New Deal which Sace is implementing through a program of green guarantees (up to 80% of the loan), the company “has mobilized 800 million for projects destined for the country’s energy transition”.
Unicredit, the other big player in the sector, in July launched «Sustainable Future Financing», a range of medium-long term loans for companies that are committed to improving their sustainability profile. Unicredit recognizes a reduction in the rate for the disbursement, with subsequent verification of the achievement of at least two improvement objectives in the ESG area envisaged at the stipulation. The first contract signed by Piazza Gae Aulenti was a ten million loan to Rigoni di Asiago. As mentioned, all the major banks are still accelerating on the green, as well as Banca Etica which since its foundation has put ESG issues at the center of the business.
Banco Bpm, for example, has allocated a 5 billion euro platfond for the sustainable 2020-2023 investments of companies. The institute is structured to offer loans backed by Sace’s green guarantee as just happened with a loan of 12 million to support Saib.
Crédit Agricole Italia, on the other hand, offers sustainability linked loans, green loans, ESG derivatives and green ceilings and can accompany companies with Sace Green that need loans linked to sustainable investment projects after evaluating the ESG benefits deriving from the intervention. The institute then announces that from 2020 it has activated the Sustainability Plafond of 100 million “at favorable economic conditions” for companies that distinguish themselves in green, sustainable investments and in the circular economy.