FinanceAsia accolades Crédit Agricole CIB for its excellence in sustainable finance

In the ever-evolving sustainable finance landscape, Crédit Agricole CIB has been pushing boundaries to offer strategic advices for clients who share the same vision. Having developed ambitious strategy towards carbon neutrality itself, the Bank’s financiers understand the significance in developing comprehensive knowledge across products, geographies and sectors to provide all-rounded advices to support clients’ ESG journey.

Crédit Agricole CIB has accumulated award-winning financing expertise in areas including Corporates, Financial Institutions, Global Markets, Loans, Project Finance, and Technology. Leveraging its dedicated Sustainable Investment Banking team with more than 40 specialists internationally, this franchise allows the Bank to not only give the most suitable finance advice to clients, but also set benchmarks for sustainable finance markets. 

The unwavering commitment to supporting clients and fostering industry development earns Crédit Agricole CIB accolades at the FinanceAsia Achievement Awards 2023.

In 2023, FinanceAsia named Crédit Agricole CIB in nine deal categories, most of which are ESG-related transactions.

Best Sustainable Finance House in Asia: Crédit Agricole CIB

Best Sustainable Finance Banker in Hong Kong SAR: Antoine Rose, Crédit Agricole CIB

Best Infrastructure Deal in North Asia, Best Project Finance Deal in North Asia: Hai Long's NT$118 billion offshore wind project non-recourse project financing

Best Project Finance Deal in South Asia : ReNew Power Private’s 400MW Round-The-Clock project

Best Debt Finance Deal in Australia and New Zealand: AirTrunk's A$4.67 billion equivalent sustainability-linked syndicated senior debt facilities

Best Syndicated Loan Deal in Hong Kong SAR: Tricor and Vistra's $1.66 billion incremental first-lien term loan

Best Syndicated Loan Deal in South Asia: Reliance Industries' $5 billion equivalent long term syndicated facility

Best Sustainable Finance Deal in North Asia: SK Hynix's $2.5 billion multi-tranche offering of sustainability-linked and green notes

Crédit Agricole CIB’s ESG journey started from having five visionary bankers in the Paris headquarters a decade ago, including Antoine Rose, the award winner of FinanceAsia’s Best Sustainable Finance Banker in Hong Kong 2023. We spoke with Antoine Rose on his journey as a sustainable banker, and his views on sustainable market development.

Could you tell us about yourself, and what brought you to the sustainable banking industry at a time when the sector was at an early-stage?

I started my career in the Bank’s sustainable development department in the early 2010s. Back then, it was all about initial mapping of E&S risks including the carbon risk in our exposure as sustainability topics have just started to emerge in the agenda. I joined Sustainable Banking in 2014 converting my expertise into a commercial activity. The activity was nascent supported by clients inquiring whether we could offer sustainability advices.

It was certainly not easy when we first found the team as there were no prior examples to follow, and we were exploring the topic as a pioneer in this market. Other product teams across the Bank were supportive of what we were doing, and they still do now, as we all share the same goal of supporting our clients in their journey towards energy transition.

With the comprehensive collaboration with financing experts in different fields, we’re able to offer clients fresh perspective and advise them the tools available to achieve their sustainability goals. The meaningful purpose behind each transaction is rewarding for me, and I keep challenging myself to be innovative in this sector.

Could you share with us your sustainable finance experience in Asia-Pacific?

Our sustainable investment banking team got up to good momentum when in late 2010s more corporates and financial institutions joined the sustainable conversation. As we start getting more interest from clients outside of Europe, we set up regional offices in Asia-Pacific and the Americas.

Asia-Pacific is more diverse in terms of ESG awareness, culture, investment demand, and financial regulations when compared to Europe. Against this backdrop, besides being a strategic advisor to clients, we have been an active counterpart in conferences and industry alliances to support the market in developing a sustainable finance roadmap, particularly in exploring a more consistent framework to define ESG standards.

For me, sustainable finance is not just about closing the transaction, but incorporating diverse elements in the whole ecosystem – team, clients, market, and community – in promoting the agenda forward. 

Read more to see how Crédit Agricole CIB can help you succeed in your net zero transition journey together. Will open in a new tab