The Climate Bonds Initiative is an international organisation aiming to mobilise financing for climate change solutions through the bond market. The Initiative promotes investment in projects and assets necessary for a rapid transition to a low carbon and climate-resilient economy. The strategy is: to develop a large and liquid green and climate bonds market that will help drive down the cost of capital for climate projects in developed and emerging markets; grow aggregation mechanisms for fragmented sectors; and support governments seeking to tap debt capital markets.

The Initiative works across three streams: building market intelligence; developing a trusted standard; and providing policy models and advice. It is best known for the Climate Bond Certification which is awarded to bonds that fulfill its taxonomy. The certification is overseen by a board representing US$32 billion in assets under management.

Their ten-point case focuses on the notion that solution paths and barriers to climate change are largely understood and the belief that climate bonds can fund the transition to a low-carbon economy:

1. Climate change is an extraordinary challenge.
2. The solution paths are largely understood.
3. There are three central aspects to the problem: urgency to avoid 2°C warming; low-emission commodities are currently low-volume and high cost; short-term poverty eradication is paramount in developing countries.
4. The urgent need for climate bonds can be addressed by mechanisms.
5. Volumes of investment are large but there is enough global capital to fund the necessary transition.
6. Institutional investors will invest in long-term climate bonds given adequate and secure returns.
7. The trajectory of renewable energy costs is downward.
8. Economies of scale will enhance investability.
9. Transition to a ow-carbon economy presents large commercial opportunities to invest in infrastructure.
10. Achieving the scale and speed of development requires government action.

The Climate Bonds Initiative promotes models for making climate change  mitigation and adaptation projects investable.

The Climate Bonds Initiative and the Climate Bond Standards Scheme are funded by grants from non-profit and public organisations, revenue from public sector project contracts, and by subscription fees from the Climate Bonds Partnership program. A small amount of revenue also comes from Climate Bonds Certification registration fees.

Funders include: United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, ClimateWorks Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation,  Inter-American Development Bank, Oak Foundation, FSDAfrica, European Climate Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, EU’s Horizon 2020, Frederick Mulder Foundation, GEF United Nations Development Project, Martin International, Climate-KIC, KR Foundation, Schwiezerische Eidgenossenschaft, Bloomberg Philanthropies, NAB, HSB.

Funding through partnership includes organisations that can be found here.