Elea Digital announces sustainability-linked bond

Brazilian data center firm Elea Digital has announced its first sustainability-linked bond. It has reportedly issued a $38 million bond to invest in more water-efficient equipment, through which it hopes to reduce its Water Usage Efficiency (WUE) to 0.31 liters and 0.2 liters per KW/h by By 2026 and 2028, respectively.

Alessandro Lombardi, chairman of Elea Digital, said that the move shows Elea Digital taking the lead on the commitment to sustainability in the digital infrastructure sector in Brazil. Adding: "We trust that other players may be inspired by our pioneer path." Further to this, Lombardi said the company understands that Brazil, with its abundance of water resources, sun and wind, can become a "global sustainability model in the data center sector, and especially in the country of the Amazon region, it must "reaffirm" its climate commitment, "working every day to promote a digital transformation that improves the quality of the world we live in."

Bradesco BBI acted as Lead Coordinator and BTG and UBS/BB as Coordinators on the issuance. Speaking about this, Rafael Garcia, head of fixed income at Bradesco BBI, said: "We are proud to be lead coordinator of the first sustainability-linked bond of Elea Digital which also is the first one in the data center industry. By committing to environmental and social targets, the company innovates and fosters sustainable practices in a relevant sector."