On July 10 local time, China Construction Bank (CCB) and FTSE Russell jointly launched the FTSE CCB Dim Sum (Offshore Renminbi) Green Bond Index. This marks the official introduction of the world's first benchmark index designed to track the performance of the offshore renminbi green bond market.
The index is constructed using the FTSE Dim Sum (Offshore Renminbi) Bond 0+ Year Index as its sample universe. Securities are selected based on criteria from the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) and include fixed-rate bonds such as government, agency, supranational, and credit bonds. The index has a base date of December 31, 2016. Investors can access and track the index via the London Stock Exchange platform and Bloomberg. Historical data indicates the index exhibits a strong correlation with its underlying benchmark. It offers global green investors unique exposure to offshore renminbi assets while effectively reducing sensitivity to global interest rate cycles, thereby aiding portfolio diversification.
Third-party data shows China has become the world's largest green bond market by issuance size. Green bonds serve as a crucial financing instrument for environmentally sustainable projects and represent a significant asset class for international investors. To meet growing global demand for offshore renminbi-denominated green bonds and establish a transparent and credible benchmark framework, CCB collaborated with FTSE Russell to develop this index, guided by the policy directions of the 2025 UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue.
FTSE Russell stated that creating a transparent benchmark for offshore renminbi green bonds aligns closely with the policy objectives of the UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue to deepen cross-border investment cooperation. The index is expected to significantly enhance the accessibility of Chinese sustainable bonds for global investors.
CCB's London Branch commented that the index provides a transparent, investable, and rules-based benchmark for the offshore renminbi green bond market, offering investors a clear and structured framework that will facilitate capital allocation and investment optimization. Moving forward, the bank will continue to deepen its collaboration with FTSE Russell to expand the index's application scenarios, providing a "CCB solution" for global investors to participate in China's green finance market and share in new opportunities presented by green development.