Sustainability-linked loans (SLLs) have gained
significant traction in Canada and the U.S. in recent years. Since
their market debut, the SLL market has grown to $747 billion,
making it the second-largest sustainable debt asset class after
green bonds1. While the key performance indicators
(KPIs) and sustainability performance targets (SPTs) in these loan
products are bespoke to each borrower, market practice has been
developing around the criteria for the SLL product, the roles of
the lenders in the development of this feature and the relevant
credit documentation.
Since 2019, the Sustainability Linked Loan Principles (SLLP),
developed by the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA),
the Loan Market Association (LMA) and the Asia Pacific Loan Market
Association (APLMA), have been providing guidance to the credit
markets on the core components and criteria of the SLL product. In
February 2023, both an updated SLLP and guidance document were
released to