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7 Jan 2021 – Articles

Danske Bank takes the green jersey for sustainable debt issuance


Last year, Danske Bank arranged green bonds issuance worth DKK 42billion, which is more than any other Nordic bank. This makes Danske Bank a market leader in a region that is already the world leader in this area.

In 2020, Danske Bank arranged sales of green bonds with a total value of DKK 42 billion, which is more than any other Nordic bank, according to the financial service provider, Bloomberg. 



Danske Bank thus takes the green lead in the Nordic region, which is already at the forefront of green and sustainable debt issuance.

And Lars Mac Key, Head of Sustainable Bonds, Danske Bank, expects the market to increase by 25% over the next 12 months following a similar increase from 2019 to 2020.

"We see an increase in particularly sustainable government bonds from the Nordic countries but we also see increasing debt issuance from companies in Norway and Finland," says Lars Mac Key, who believes that green bonds is a market in which banks have a particular potential to make a positive impact.

We see an increase in particularly sustainable government bonds from the Nordic countries but we also see increasing debt issuance from companies in Norway and Finland

Lars Mac Key

Head of Sustainable Bonds, Danske Bank


Green currency
In 2020, EUR 25.2bn of debt was issued in the Nordic region with links for environmental and social purposes. It is the highest level ever and 25 percent higher than the previous year.

Last year, a third of Nordic green and sustainable bonds were issued in Swedish kronor, and the Swedish krona is the world's third largest currency for green bonds, only surpassed by Euro and US dollar.