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Be Climate Smart. Invest in BART Green Bonds.

Climate Bond CertifiedBART is preparing its second issue of Green Bonds, certified by the Climate Bonds Initiative. BART plans to give order priority for individual investors on December 14, 2017. The Series 2017 Green Bonds are Sales Tax Revenue Refunding Bonds secured by sales and use taxes collected in the three-county BART district.

This is not an offer to sell bonds or a solicitation of an offer to buy bonds. Investors must have access to the Official Statement for the bonds and have access to a brokerage account in order to purchase them.

The proceeds expected from the sale of these Green Bonds will be used to refinance prior Sales Tax Revenue Bonds issued by BART, providing significant debt service savings for the District. The proceeds of the bonds being refunded were used to finance BART facilities and equipment. The bond issue meets the rigorous criteria established by the Climate Bonds Initiative relating to reporting and transparency, and will refinance bonds that paid for projects that provide low-carbon transportation alternatives for Bay Area residents and reduce the impacts of climate change.

Green Bonds (also known as Climate Bonds) were popularized in 2010 as a method for raising capital for climate-friendly projects across the globe. In 2016, $81 billion in Climate Bonds were issued worldwide according to the Climate Bonds Initiative, an international nongovernmental, nonprofit organization dedicated to stimulating investment in projects and assets supporting environmental sustainability. The District has requested, and the Climate Bonds Standard Board has approved, the labeling of the Series 2017 Bonds as “Climate Bond Certified” based on the Climate Bonds Standard Verification Statement provided by First Environment. First Environment’s factual findings assessed that the Series 2017 Bonds were used on projects conforming to the Climate Bonds – Low Carbon Land Transport Standard. 

To buy BART Green Bonds follow these simple steps:

Step 1 – Have a brokerage account.

  • You must have an account with one of the brokerage firms participating in the bond sale listed below. Bonds cannot be purchased directly from BART. If you do not have an account at one of the participating firms, you may open one and purchase bonds during the order period (if you have a brokerage account, go to Step 2).
  • Investors are encouraged to begin the new account process well in advance of the sale. Depending on the brokerage, internal new account procedures may take some time to process.
  • Each firm has its own requirements for opening an account. BART does not endorse any particular brokerage firm. Additionally, BART does not guarantee that any one of these firms will open an account for an investor.

Step 2 - Learn about the bonds.

  • BART Green Bonds can only be offered through an Official Statement. Using the hyperlink below, download and read the Preliminary Official Statement to learn about the bonds, including their security, maturity dates, the types of projects they finance, and other information you may find important to help you make an informed investment decision. Again, neither this website nor the Official Statement is an offer to sell any bonds.

Step 3 - Place your order.

  • Contact the brokerage firm with whom you have an account to get more information about how to buy bonds during the December 14 order period

Preliminary Offering Statement

Online Investor Presentation

Fitch Credit Report - BART

S&P Global Credit Report - BART

 

Contact Information for Participating Bond Underwriting Firms