SINGAPORE & LONDON-- February 05, 2021 -- Moody’s ESG Solutions Group announced today that it has opened a new office in Singapore through its affiliate, V.E. Leveraging the group’s comprehensive suite of ESG and climate risk solutions and in-depth expertise, the new office will support regional sustainability bond and loan innovations, facilitate integration of ESG risks and opportunities into products and solutions for investors, and provide training initiatives and thought leadership in the Asia Pacific region.

“As more and more market participants in Asia Pacific look to align their financing activities with sustainability objectives, Moody’s ESG Solutions Group is committed to providing customers with the ESG tools and insights they need to manage risks and better address their social and environmental impacts,” said Andrea Blackman, Moody’s Global Head of ESG Solutions.

Through its affiliate V.E, Moody’s ESG Solutions will also provide Second-Party Opinion (SPO) services in support of the Green and Sustainability Linked Loan Grant Scheme (GSLS), which was recently launched by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The GSLS aims to support corporates in accessing sustainable finance and banks in developing sustainability-linked loan frameworks.

“MAS welcomes the establishment of Moody’s ESG Solutions Group’s presence in Singapore,” said Lim Cheng Khai, Executive Director of Financial Markets Development, MAS. “V.E’s ESG research, risk analytics and assessment capabilities will strengthen the trust in sustainable financing solutions, and support the growth of Singapore’s green finance ecosystem to cater to Asia’s needs.”

The opening of the Singapore office builds on Moody’s long-term commitment to support growth of ESG in the Asia Pacific region. V.E has delivered over 30 SPOs in the region to date, including the SPO for the inaugural green bond by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. In June 2020, V.E launched an initiative with the Bangkok Stock Exchange (SET) providing the ESG scores of Thai companies on the SET platforms. In December, V.E also provided the SPO for OCBC Bank’s pioneering SME financing framework in Singapore.

The Singapore office will be led by Komi Rajdev, who has been named as Head of Business Development for V.E for the Asia Pacific region.