News
CEB elected to join Executive Committee of the ICMA Principles
26 June 2025
PARIS - The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) has been elected to the Executive Committee of the Green Bond Principles (GBP), the Social Bond Principles (SBP), the Sustainability Bond Guidelines (SBG) and the Sustainability-Linked Bond Principles (SLBP) - collectively known as the Principles. Coordinated by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA), the Principles provide the global standard for sustainable bond markets.
The CEB joins a select group of 24 investors, issuers and underwriters on the Executive Committee, the main decision-making body of the Principles, to champion global Green, Social, Sustainability and Sustainability-Linked Bond markets to finance progress towards environmental and social sustainability.
“This is a recognition of our long-standing leadership in the social bond market, and, as the social development bank for Europe, we bring a unique perspective to the table” said Governor Carlo Monticelli. “We look forward to working with our peers to hone the Principles, strengthening their capability to safeguard the integrity and transparency of the market to the benefit of investors and, ultimately, the quality of underlying projects.”
The CEB has been a pioneer in the social bond space as the founding member of the ICMA Social Bond Working Group in 2016 and regular issuer of Social Inclusion Bonds (SIBs). In 2024 the Bank hit a record milestone of €10 billion in the total volume of SIBs issued to the market since 2017 – the result of close collaboration with the leading stock exchanges (Luxembourg Green Exchange, Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network and London Stock Exchange’s Sustainable Bond Market), to promote the Social Bond market and enhance information sharing with investors.
“We are deeply honoured and grateful to have been elected to serve on the Executive Committee.”, says Felix Grote, Head of Funding and Investor Relations at the CEB. “Being part of the ExCom allows us to deepen our collaboration with the other members and promote the importance of social considerations across the Principles.”
The CEB’s Social Inclusion Bonds have been issued across seven currencies and represent around 40% of annual borrowing authorisation, allowing the Bank to diversify its investor base and support the development of local social bond markets. The current SIB Framework, last updated in 2022, was verified by Sustainalytics.
Joining the Executive Committee of the Principles reflects the strong collaboration across the CEB’s funding, technical and operational teams, working together to position CEB at the forefront of sustainable finance.
The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) is a multilateral development bank with an exclusively social mandate from its 43 member countries. The CEB finances investment and provides technical assistance in social sectors such as education, health and affordable housing, while focusing on the needs of vulnerable people, as well as on the social dimensions of climate change and the environment. Borrowers include governments, local and regional authorities, public and private banks, non-profit organisations and others. The CEB, which has a triple-A credit rating, funds itself through international capital markets. In addition, the CEB receives funds from donors to complement its activities.