Companies of all sizes will get more support in securing green and sustainability-linked loans with a new grant scheme launched by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) yesterday. The initiative, called the Green and Sustainability-Linked Loan Grant Scheme, is a world first and will start in January next year, said MAS. It will also encourage banks to develop frameworks so that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can access such financing more easily. Green loans are those that help finance new or existing green projects, while sustainability-linked loans provide price incentives for borrowers to achieve sustainability performance targets. MAS managing director Ravi Menon said: "Loans are a key source of financing across Asia - be it for individuals, SMEs or large corporates. Therefore, there is significant opportunity to encourage firms across different industries to transition to more sustainable practices through green and sustainability-linked loans. "MAS' grants for green loans and bonds are an important part of the green finance ecosystem that Singapore is building - to support Asia's pivot towards a sustainable future." Singapore companies borrowed $10.2 billion th...