CEB publishes report on third Social Inclusion Bond

PARIS – The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) today published an impact report on its third Social Inclusion Bond, issued in April 2019. The report provides detailed information on the allocation of the proceeds and social impact of the projects financed.  

The proceeds of the CEB’s third Social Inclusion Bond - €500 million with a seven-year maturity - financed projects with high social value in key sectors of activity for the Bank:

• micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)
• social housing
• education

These areas of action are closely aligned with CEB’s strategic priorities as well as with several sustainable development goals (SDGs), namely SDG 4 (Quality Education); SDG 5 (Gender Equality); SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth); SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities); SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Thanks to financing channelled through to MSMEs in five countries, 4,313 new jobs have been created and more than 40,000 preserved. Almost 9,000 social and affordable dwellings have been constructed or renovated, responding to acute needs in several European countries. In the field of education and vocational training more than 143,000 students benefited from new or modernised facilities.

The CEB’s explicitly and exclusively social mandate ideally positions the Bank to issue social bonds and to allocate the proceeds to projects that support its strategic objectives.

 CEB Governor Rolf Wenzel said: “In the spirit of transparency that characterises the CEB and its activities, the report published today provides full information on the use of the proceeds from the third Social Inclusion Bond, which attracted strong investor interest, just like the first two CEB Social Inclusion Bonds. We are pleased to be able to continue to finance projects with an especially high social impact in areas that are crucial for social cohesion in Europe, such as job creation, social housing, and education including vocational training.”