(Credit: Pixabay)Amgen this week announced the issuance of its inaugural $750 million green bond, with a 3.00% semi-annual coupon and maturing in 2029, to advance the environmental goals that are part of Amgen's ESG framework.
The green bond is part of a $4 billion underwritten public offering of senior notes that were issued on February 22, 2022 and the use of proceeds from the green bond is aligned with the Company's Green Financing Framework. S&P Global Ratings provided the second party opinion on the Framework and reported that it is aligned with the Green Bond Principles (2021) administered by the International Capital Market Association.
Since 2007, Amgen has implemented environmentally focused projects resulting in a 33% reduction in carbon emissions, a 30% reduction in water use and a 28% reduction in waste disposed. These reductions were achieved even as the Company increased production capacity, expanded its presence to approximately 100 countries, and grew revenues. In January 2021, Amgen announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2027, while further reducing water use by 40% and waste disposed by 75%.
Amgen intends to allocate an amount equivalent to the net proceeds from the Green Financing, in whole or in part, to one or more new or existing eligible projects in the following categories: green buildings, eco-efficient operations and processes, eco-efficient products, renewable energy, and clean transportation.
For each Amgen Green Financing, Amgen will publish an annual allocation report until full allocation of the proceeds and may publish an update of any such report in the event of any material changes, until the relevant maturity date. Where feasible and subject to any confidentiality considerations, Amgen will report estimated quantitative impact metrics and provide qualitative case studies on eligible projects.
In May 2021, Amgen published a comprehensive ESG Report, which is available here.
