China securities regulator releases guidelines to boost green bonds

BEIJING -- China's securities regulator has published guidelines to support the issuance of green bonds, pledging less red tape and more efforts to supervise the use of funds.

A green channel will be established to accelerate the approval of bond issuance, and financial institutions including brokerages, fund companies and banks will be encouraged to invest in such bonds, according to a document by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC).

Funds raised from green bonds must be channeled into green industries, such as clean energy and other environmental protection technologies, and any violations, including capital embezzlement, will be strictly prohibited.

The CSRC promised to strengthen policy support and guidance to encourage private capital to flow into green industries.

Green bonds have attracted an array of favorable measures from the government, which is trying to improve fund-raising for green sectors, a key part of policymakers' efforts to make the economy more environmentally-friendly.

China has the world's largest green bond market. More than 200 billion yuan (around $30 billion) worth of green bonds were issued in 2016, according to Wind Info, a Shanghai-based financial information provider.