* Current portfolio of green bond investments at 430 mln stg
* Green bonds raise capital for low-carbon investments
LONDON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Barclays will invest atleast 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) by November next year ingreen bonds from issuers including the World Bank, the Britishbank said on Monday, more than trebling its investment in thesector.
Green bonds are fixed income securities designed to raisecapital to finance low-carbon investments such as schemes tocurb greenhouse gas emissions.
Issuers are mainly governments or development banks such asthe European Investment Bank, World Bank, International FinanceCorporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction andDevelopment.
Barclays' existing portfolio of green bond investments iscurrently valued at 430 million pounds.
"Barclays' Treasury team will continue to considerinvestments in new supra-national organisations and governmentissued bonds as they become available," the bank said in astatement.
"Barclays will review its commitment to the green bondssector on an ongoing basis, with the potential to increase itdepending on overall growth of the sector."
The supply of green bonds is expected to reach $40 billionthis year, almost four times the $11 issued last year, accordingto the Climate Bond Initiative.
"The participation of strategic investors such as Barclaysin the green bond market will continue to bring scale anddiversity to the market and help mobilize more capital forclimate-friendly projects," said Madelyn Antoncic,Vice-President and Treasurer of the World Bank.
"Commitments on the part of banks such as Barclays will havea hugely positive impact on the growth of the market -especially if similar investors follow."
($1 = 0.6123 British pounds) (Reporting by Nina Chestney, editing by John Stonestreet)
Barclays (BARC)
