WASHINGTON, USA — The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Japan’s government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) have partnered to promote and develop socially responsible capital markets through investments in IDB Social Bonds focused on Education-Youth-Employment (EYE).
IDB Social (EYE) Bonds foster human capital development from the classroom to the workplace. The funds raised through them will finance projects in Latin America and the Caribbean that promote effective teaching and learning for children and youth, giving them skills needed to enter the labor market and contribute productively to society.
“We are honored to partner with GPIF to further the development of socially responsible investments. The collaboration between GPIF and IDB integrates social aspects into fixed-income investments to support IDB in improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Claudia Bock-Valotta, the IDB’s vice president for finance and administration.
Hiro Mizuno, executive managing director and chief investment officer of GPIF, said he was honored to take part in the IDB’s “life cycle” approach to solving challenges of poverty and inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean through commitments in improving the quality of children’s education and providing greater employment opportunities.
“GPIF requires our asset managers to integrate ESG into their investment analysis and decision-making. We regard the purchase of Green, Social and Sustainability Bonds as one of the direct methods of ESG integration in the fixed income investment,” Mizuno said. “GPIF looks forward to working together on this initiative.”
The IDB issued its inaugural Social (EYE) bond in September 2014. Since then, the IDB has issued a total of $2.2 billion in various currencies.
