Visa Expands Commitment to Sustainability Through Inaugural $500 Million Green Bond Issuance and Appointment of Chief Sustainability Officer Role
SAN FRANCISCO: Visa (NYSE: V), a leading global payments technology company, today announced that yesterday it successfully priced its inaugural green bond offering, totaling $500 million, paying a semi-annual coupon of 0.75% and maturing August 15, 2027. The green bond, believed to be the first issued by a digital payments network, will be used to help advance the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability and a sustainable payments ecosystem. In support of that commitment and in addition to its inaugural green bond, Visa is also announcing the appointment of its first chief sustainability officer, Douglas Sabo.
“At Visa, we see a responsibility and an opportunity to use the power of our network to drive broad shifts toward a sustainable future,” said Al Kelly, chairman and chief executive officer of Visa Inc. “Our green bond offering will help us accelerate the transformation of our infrastructure and operations to reach our environmental goals. This commitment extends to appointing Visa’s first chief sustainability officer, tasked with ensuring we continue to take bold and industry-leading actions on the environment.”
As outlined in the Visa Green Bond Framework, the proceeds of the green bond will be used to fund projects including upgrades to buildings, energy efficiency improvements, expanded usage of renewable energy sources, water efficiency projects, employee commuter programs, and research and initiatives focused on sustainable consumer behaviors. The proceeds also will support investments in projects to inspire and foster sustainable living in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These projects build on Visa’s sustainability leadership, including its transition to 100 percent renewable electricity across its operations achieved at the start of 2020.
“As the world continues to address the urgency of climate change and other environmental challenges, we are embracing our opportunity to play a leading role in building a more sustainable world,” said Douglas Sabo, Visa’s newly appointed chief sustainability officer. “Through our green bond offering and together with our initiatives driving inclusive economic growth, we are working to ensure people and planet both can thrive together.”
Visa will issue an annual report on the use of proceeds from the green bond and their environmental impact. Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of ESG research, ratings and data, provided the second-party opinion on the environmental benefits of Visa’s Green Bond Framework as well as its alignment with the Green Bond Principles.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that relate to, among other things, our sustainability goals, current and future projects, and expectations regarding the use of proceeds. Forward-looking statements generally are identified by words such as “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “continue” and other similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact could be forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made, are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control and are difficult to predict. We describe risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any of these forward-looking statements in our SEC filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2019 and our subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K, which are incorporated by reference herein. Except as required by law, we do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
About Visa Inc.
Visa is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network – enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device. As the world moves from analogue to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information visit usa.visa.com/about-visa.html, usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/blog.html and @VisaNews.
