Green bonds to refinance the Paris-Bordeaux high-speed railway line

This operation, which is one of the most important conducted in Europe, is to date the first « project bond » to receive a « green » label in France – for an amount of €905 million- awarded by the independent agency Vigeo Eiris. This label recognizes the commitments made until 2061 by LISEA in the environmental field and the exemplary nature of the approach adopted: the priority given to local partnerships and the systematic evaluation of the actions implemented.

With this operation Meridiam has more than €1.5 billion green bonds issued, and confirms its commitment to implement ambitious initiatives that contribute to fight climate change. For instance, Meridiam issued in october 2016 a first green and social bond to finance the Elazig integrated health campus in Turkey. This project received in December 2018 the LEED Gold Certification. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.

More generally, certifications by independent agencies, reflect good resource management and project management best practices. Today 15 projects representing €15 billion of investment in mobility and social infrastructure, received sustainable building and infrastructure certifications, amongst them:

• The A66 highway project in Spain, a 49 km section between Benavente and Zamora, which has received the Green Energy certification for the use of renewable energy for all its needs;
• The Université de Montréal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) in Canada has obtained LEED Gold certification;
• The Court House in Long Beach, California, USA, has been LEED Gold certified;
• The University of Hertfordshire Student Accommodation in England, which includes 3000 housing units, common rooms, a gym and sports fields, has achieved BREEAM Excellent certification.
• Many project companies have also implemented environmental and health and safety management systems in accordance with ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.