Our investment
Description of the investment.
Description of the investment.
This is an investment in a local currency (Nepalese Rupee) green bond issued by NMB Bank in Nepal. This is the first local currency bond issued to international investors by an institution in Nepal, and also the first local currency green bond issued in the country.
The green bond investment will support small and medium enterprises involved in climate financing projects, create jobs and accelerate the country’s energy transition to support greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
Impact information
Applies to investments made from 2019 onwards. The tabs in this section define what we expect to achieve through the investment, assessing the potential impact of the investment against six dimensions of impact. You can find more details on our methodology of assessing impact here.
Applies to investments made from 2019 onwards. The tabs in this section define what we expect to achieve through the investment, assessing the potential impact of the investment against six dimensions of impact. You can find more details on our methodology of assessing impact here.
What?
| Impact |
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How?
| Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|
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Catalysing markets: Our participation in Nepal’s first local currency bond issued to international investors will help set precedent and provide a regulatory blueprint and benchmark for bond performance needed to attract international investment to Nepal. Through this channel, international investors can also help address Nepal’s SDG financing gap, also supporting the fulfilment of Nepal’s nationally determined contribution (country's climate action plan under the Paris Agreement). |
Economic enabler: Bond proceeds will finance 1) solar: utility scale solar projects, rooftop solar manufacturers, and solar value chain, increasing the supply of clean and reliable renewable electricity for commercial and industrial consumers and 2) clean transportation: EV manufacturers, retail consumers borrowing for EV financing, replacing petrol/diesel vehicles with low/no emission alternatives, reducing daily vehicle emissions and improving air quality. |
Who?
| Stakeholder | Geography | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Customers (borrowers) are likely to be a mix of commercial and industrial customers (e.g. utility scale solar manufacturers), MSME customers (rooftop solar customers), and retail customers (EV financing for personal use). |
Nepal |
Since impact is indirect and concerns a range of customer types, we do not have visibility into the specific characteristics of stakeholders. |
| Planet |
n/a |
How much?
| Scale | Depth/Duration |
|---|---|
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35-40 MSME and/or consumer and industrial customers. 50 MW solar capacity can be attributed to BII’s investment. |
While the tenor of impact is 5 years, impact is likely to last longer as the bond will catalyse markets and support future local currency bond issuances to international investors. The intensity of greenhouse gas emissions avoided will depend on the loans that are deployed. Nepal’s grid is dominated by hydropower so emissions avoided from grid connected energy will be limited. However, the bond will lead to clean and renewable energy generation to meet the new and growing energy needs of the country. |
Contribution/additionality
| Contribution/additionality |
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Financial additionality: There have been no international bonds issued by an entity in Nepal to date. Given that this is a new and untested instrument, we are confident that without DFI/MDB finance, the bond is unlikely to get commercial investment. |
Risk
External RiskMedium execution risk relates to the challenges with finding qualified borrowers. Unexpected Impact RiskLow unexpected impact risk as the the bank continuously improves its consumer protection practices. External RiskMedium external risk relates to macroeconomic and bond market conditions in Nepal becoming less conducive for international investors in the future. |
Impact score
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Impact score (at point of investment)
The Impact Score is a tool to help us manage our performance against our strategic impact objectives. It is designed to incentivise investments that support our productive, sustainable, and inclusive objectives. The Impact Score shown is based on the 2022-2026 Impact Score methodology. You can find out more here. The Impact Score is published for investments made from 2022 onwards. The Impact Scores are calculated at the point of investment. We publish the Impact Scores of new investments annually, once the information has been externally assured by an independent third party. |
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9 |
Environmental and social information
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Environmental and social summary
A high-level description of the environmental and social aspects of the investment. This may include a summary of key environmental and social risks identified during environmental and social due diligence (ESDD); key elements of an environmental and social action plan (ESAP); or ways in which we plan to support the investee improve environmental and social standards, such as through their environmental and social management system (ESMS); as well as any other priority areas agreed with the investee.
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Environmental and social risk
A risk category rating, which indicates the level of environmental and social risk associated with an investment. For an explanation of the categorisations used, see here. We consistently provide an environmental and social risk category for all investments screened from 2023 onwards.
Environmental and social summary
We agreed a short ESAP building on the previous ESAP we have in place focussed on refining the Bank’s E&S risk categorisation approach, customer protection and supply chain risk management.
Environmental and social risk
Medium-High
Reporting and Complaints Mechanism
The Reporting and Complaints Mechanism allows anyone outside BII to report alleged breaches of the business integrity or environmental and social provisions of BII’s Policy on Responsible Investing. This includes breaches made by BII, a BII investee, or a portfolio company of a fund in which BII has invested. The Reporting and Complaints Mechanism Rules are available here. Reports and complaints can be submitted by email to [email protected] or by mail. See more details on our Reporting and Complaints Mechanism here.
For any other general enquiries contact us at [email protected]
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Key facts
- First published
:
When the investment was first published on the website database.
- June 2025
- Last updated
:
When the last quarterly update of the website database occurred.
- June 2026
- Project number
:
An identifier number shared by investments in the same project.
- D7232
- Status
:
The current status of the investment (green flag for active and red flag for exited).
- Active
- Region
:
The geographical region where the country is located. We currently invest in Africa, South Asia, South East Asia and the Caribbean. In 2023, BII’s investment mandate was extended allowing it to invest in regional funds linked to Ukraine, with the majority of activity expected to begin post-war. Investments outside these regions were made prior to 2012 under previous investment mandates.
- South Asia
- Country
:
The countries where the investment delivers impact. Where impact is delivered in multiple countries, this is indicated.
- Nepal
- Sector
:
We prioritise those sectors that facilitate development and need our capital the most. Our priority sectors contribute towards many of the Sustainable Development Goals. They range from investing in the power infrastructure that will provide people with better access to electricity, to investing in financial institutions that direct capital to the individuals and businesses that need it the most.
- Financial services
- Sub sector
:
The sub-sector that the investment is made into; this provides a more granular level of detail than the ‘sector’ information
- Banks
- Investment policy :
- Catalyst
- Investment type :
- Debt
- Start date :
- March 2025
- Amount :
- $22m
- Currency of investment :
- NPR,USD
- Domicile
:
The company or investment fund’s place of incorporation.
- Nepal
We provide capital in the following ways: directly – through direct equity, direct debt, guarantees and other non-intermediated financial instruments; and indirectly – principally through investment funds.
Type of investment portfolio that each investment is made under. Since 2014, we have run two investment portfolios: Catalyst and Growth. In addition, our Kinetic Portfolio enables us to manage concessional investment strategies.
For direct investments and fund investments, this is the date BII committed capital to the investments. This is typically the date on which legal agreements are signed by all parties.
For the portfolio companies of our fund investments, this is the date (either the month or the quarter) on which the fund committed capital to the portfolio company.
For direct equity investments, this is the date at which British International Investment exited the investment.
For debt investments, this is the date at which the final debt repayment was made.
For funds, this is the date at which the fund was terminated.
For underlying fund investments, this is the date at which the fund manager exited the investment.
The total amount committed, per financial instrument, per investment, on the date BII becomes subject to a binding legal obligation to provide funding or assume a contingent liability. This information is provided in US dollars.
For direct investments, this is the amount that BII has committed to the business or project. For fund investments, this is the amount BII has committed to the fund.
The currency in which the investment was made.
- First published
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Gender and climate finance facts
- Climate finance
:
Indicates whether the investment is climate finance qualified or partially climate finance qualified and the type of climate finance (adaptation, mitigation or both). We define climate finance using the multilateral development bank (MDB) and the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) Common Principles climate finance methodology. See Common Principles for Climate Mitigation Finance Tracking and Common Principles for Climate Change Adaptation Finance Tracking. We provide the climate finance qualification and type for commitments from 2020 onwards, which is when we launched our Climate Change Strategy.
- Fully qualified
- Climate finance type
:
Mitigation: Indicates investments which, by avoiding or reducing GHG emissions or increasing GHG sequestration, contributes substantially to the stabilisation of GHG concentrations in the atmosphere – at a level which prevents dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system consistent with the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement
Adaptation: Indicates investments aimed at preventing or reducing the risks or vulnerabilities posed by climate change and increasing climate resilience. This includes both adapted activities and enabling activities to manage and reduce physical climate risks
Dual: Indicates investments directed towards activities contributing to both climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation and meeting the respective criteria for each category
The climate finance type of the investment is determined at time of commitment.
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- Mitigation
- Climate finance
Related investments made by BII into this company:
| Investment name | Commitment | Region | Sector | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment 01 | $15m | South Asia | Financial services | November 2018 | Exited |
| Investment 02 | $25m | South Asia | Financial services | July 2022 | Exited |
