Egypt Studying Sustainable Development Bonds

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). Reuters
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). Reuters
TT

Egypt Studying Sustainable Development Bonds

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). Reuters
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). Reuters

Egypt's Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said that Egypt is considering issuing bonds linked to sustainable development.

The country is also aiming to expand its issuance of green bonds, he said, having sold $750 million in five-year green bonds in its first such sale in September.

Maait noted that there are plans to expand the issuance of green bonds to provide sustainable financing for environmentally friendly projects in the areas of housing, clean transportation, renewable energy, reducing pollution, adapting to climate change, raising energy efficiency, and the sustainable management of water and sanitation.

He added that the first offering of green bonds, worth $750 milion, has allowed Egypt to play a leading role in green development, and become a leader in the clean and environmentally friendly investment community in the region.

The minister said that the expansion of green projects will contribute to the country achieving comprehensive and sustainable development, whilst taking into account the environment.

It would help reduce pollution, improve air quality by reducing harmful carbon emissions, rationalize fuel consumption, and is consistent with efforts to maximize local components in the national industry, as well as raise growth rates, he added.

The minister said that the government aims to improve Egypt’s competitiveness in the environmental performance index and will target the implementation of 140 development projects in various sectors nationwide.



BP Warns of 4th Quarter Profit Hit as Production and Refining Margins Fall

Logo of British Petrol BP is seen at a petrol station in Pienkow, Poland, June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
Logo of British Petrol BP is seen at a petrol station in Pienkow, Poland, June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
TT

BP Warns of 4th Quarter Profit Hit as Production and Refining Margins Fall

Logo of British Petrol BP is seen at a petrol station in Pienkow, Poland, June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
Logo of British Petrol BP is seen at a petrol station in Pienkow, Poland, June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo

BP warned on Tuesday that lower production, weak refining margins and sluggish trading would see its profit in the fourth quarter of 2024 fall from the previous three months.
Since taking the helm a year ago, CEO Murray Auchincloss has scaled back the firm's energy transition strategy in an effort to boost profits and regain investor confidence as BP's share lags behind its competitors, Reuters reported.
A capital markets event previously scheduled for Feb. 11 in New York will instead take place on Feb. 26 in London, BP said, as Auchincloss is recovering from a planned medical procedure.
BP said the drop in refining margins and a higher impact from turnaround and maintenance activity would result in a quarter-on-quarter drop in profit of up to $300 million, while realizations in its oil production and operations unit could lead to a further reduction of $200 million to $400 million. It also expects a drop in upstream production.
The company's third quarter underlying replacement cost profit, the company's definition of net income, was $2.27 billion, already the weakest since the fourth quarter of 2020, when profits collapsed during the pandemic.
Global demand for gasoline and diesel has fallen short of expectations, while the launch of new oil refineries in Asia and Africa has resulted in oversupply.
Last week, Shell warned of weakness across multiple divisions, while Exxon Mobil signaled a $1.75 billion drop in fourth-quarter earnings.
BP, which will release fourth quarter results on Feb. 11, expects its net debt at end-December to have fallen from the end of the previous quarter. Exploration write-offs are seen falling by $100 million to $200 million.