Kames Capital’s McNeil: G stands for Governance, not Green

The explosion in demand for green bonds in recent years has left them looking expensive versus other fixed income securities, with better options available to investors outside this niche part of the market, Kames Capital’s Euan McNeil says.
Over $100bn of green bonds have been issued so far this year, with the euro-denominated market leading the way after accounting for 43% of all issuance.
Investors have been attracted in their droves to green bonds, according to McNeil, co-manager of the Kames Ethical Corporate Bond Fund, with market conditions exceptionally favourable for the securities over the past 18 months.
As a result, issuers have generally been able to dictate the terms of new debt and thus rush to create green bond structures, but McNeil says the sector has become overvalued as a result.
“We do not want to ruin the party, rather we choose to avoid buying green bonds due to current pricing,” he says.
“Where an issuer’s long term ability to pay is not backed up by the right business model or balance sheet, adding a green moniker to that issuer will not make us invest.”
McNeil urged investors to consider green bonds within the wider context of ESG, and ensure they drill down into the underlying drivers for each bond, rather than focus simply on the notion that they have some level of green credentials.
In particular, McNeil says investors need to be aware that the underlying risk from green bonds is not ring-fenced from other debt the company may have issued.
“Our belief is that green bonds should be treated much like any other anomalies; we will seek to exploit them,” he says.
“Where we can lend to an issuer for the same length of time, with the same security, and support a green project that is great.
“But we are not in the business of lending money to the disadvantage of our funds where the cash raised by those issuers is fungible with the rest of their cash pile and our security is ranked along with all their other debt in the issuer’s general corporate purposes.
“Green investing should be actively encouraged but not at prices or in companies that could otherwise not pass investment scrutiny. A strong business model and good governance are key to our process and ESG success. That G stands for Governance not Green.”