DFCC Bank issues Sri Lanka’s first blue bond

• Charts a new course for sustainability

DFCC Bank has launched Sri Lanka’s first-ever blue bond, a landmark Rs.3 billion issuance dedicated to financing projects that protect and sustain the country’s most vital resource – the ocean.

This pioneering bond, carrying an expected rating of ‘A(EXP)(lka)’ from Fitch Ratings, will support projects in clean drinking water infrastructure, sustainable marine fisheries and aquaculture, marine renewable energy, eco-friendly coastal tourism, wastewater management, climate adaptation for coastal communities and clean marine transportation. 

It adheres to the International Capital Market Association’s Green, Social and Sustainability Bond Principles and emerging blue bond guidelines, with transparency, a clearly defined use of proceeds and measurable outcomes at its core.

For Sri Lanka, where nearly 30 percent of the population lives in coastal districts and livelihoods are tied to fisheries, tourism and trade, the blue bond represents more than capital mobilisation. It is a commitment to aligning financial markets with environmental realities, safeguarding livelihoods, ecosystems and long-term resilience.

DFCC Bank CEO Thimal Perera stated, “Each step has been about proving that Sri Lanka can meet the highest international standards. The blue bond continues that journey – this time by bringing focus to our oceans, waterways and the communities that depend on them. Finance can change the course of a nation. With its first blue bond, DFCC Bank is proving that it can also change the course of its oceans.”