Stora Enso has successfully issued a new EUR 500 million (approximately Rs 4,398 crore) green bond under its EMTN (Euro Medium Term Note) program. The bond matures in December 2030 and pays a fixed coupon of 0.625%. The bond is issued under Stora Enso’s Green Bond framework, published in May 2018. The issue price was 99.211, equivalent to a yield of 0.707% and EUR mid-swaps +95 basis points.
There are no financial covenants included in the bond documentation. The bond will be listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The joint lead managers and bookrunners for the transaction are BNP Paribas, J.P. Morgan Securities, NatWest Markets, and OP Corporate Bank.
“We’re very pleased with the issuance of our first euro green bond. This issuance fits our sustainable finance strategy well. It’s a good continuation from the SEK denominated green bonds issued in 2019 and 2020,” says group treasurer Pasi Kyckling.
The proceeds from the new bond will finance the acquisition of certified forestland in Sweden and operational expenditures of sustainable forest management, investments at Gruvön Mill and Ždirec sawmill for producing cross-laminated timber (CLT), Oulu Mill conversion from graphic paper to kraftliner, and an investment in a steam turbine at Maxau Mill that enhances renewable energy production and reduces its CO2 emissions.
“Our third successful green bond issue is further evidence that our sustainability agenda supports our value creation in the bioeconomy. We are raising new finance to strengthen our position as a leading renewable materials company. Our eligible projects for green bond proceeds are contributing to solving global sustainability challenges and mitigating climate change with our eco-friendly and circular solutions”, says Annette Stube, executive vice president Sustainability.
2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India
Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and
multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.
The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry.
While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately
their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book
printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.
The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.
Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.
Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.
Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.
