"In the second half of 2020, the German Federal Government intends to issue Green German Government securities for the first time," Berlin's Finance Agency said in a statement Thursday. The "twin" bonds will mirror normal debt issued by the German government, with "the same maturity and coupon" (annual interest payment), the agency said. But proceeds from the green bonds "will completely be allocated to already existing expenditures with a positive ecological-sustainable effect," it added. EU lawmakers have in recent years pressured the ECB to target its "quantitative easing" bond-buying scheme at green debt, but many policymakers say they have a duty not to distort bond markets. READ ALSO: Higher fuel costs and Autobahn speed limits: How can Germany go green?

Source: The Local December 19, 2019 12:00 UTC