Deep Dive: Bondholder Engagement

This upcoming session, in partnership with the Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute (AFII), will examine why deforestation is no longer just a reputational issue, but a material credit risk driven by tightening global regulations and potential index exclusions. Given that over 100 global issuers represent $1.3 trillion in debt exposed to key commodity drivers, fixed-income markets hold immense structural leverage. This is particularly true for private agribusinesses, where bondholders serve as the sole external capital source, providing critical bargaining power during refinancing windows. Accompanied by a guest practitioner, we will explore the tangible "stewardship levers" available to fixed-income investors, including the design of rigorous Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLBs) with meaningful coupon penalties, index exclusion strategies, and direct engagement with underwriting banks.