The Dynamics of Assurances in the Global Green Bond Market

Abstract:

This project explores the intersection of sustainable finance, corporate transparency, and global markets through the lens of green bonds. We develop a comprehensive international dataset on assurance practices and disclosure files associated with green bonds, which serves as the foundation for a broad range of empirical research. The dataset covers over 1,000 corporate green bond issuers across 45 countries and captures diverse approaches that firms adopt toward external verification, reporting, and disclosure in the green bond market. Our research examines important questions such as evolution of transparency practices in global green bond market and the relationship between external assurance and financing costs. It creates opportunities to examine how transparency and assurance practices shape financing outcomes and develop across different markets and regulatory settings.

Skills and experience required for the project:

– Ability to work accurately both independently and as part of a team, and to problem-solve technical and methodological issues that arise.
– Strong analytical skills with attention to detail.
– Strong written and verbal communication skills.
– Prior exposure to fundamental concepts in financial economics.
– Basic proficiency with data processing and statistical software (e.g., Stata, R, Python, or comparable tools).