Austria has hired banks to sell its first ever green bond, according to memos on Monday from two lead managers seen by Reuters.

The bond, due 23 May 2049, will be “priced in the near future, subject to market conditions,” the memos said, a phrase debt management offices usually use a day before a sale.

European governments have shown strong interest in issuing green bonds, which fund environmentally friendly projects. Germany, Britain, Italy, Spain and the European Union issued their debut green bonds over the last two years.

See related article: Netherlands says it becomes first government to align green bonds with EU standards

Interest remains high, with Denmark issuing its first green bond earlier this year and Greece expected to follow suit.

Austria hired Barclays, BofA, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and UniCredit to manage the sale, according to the memos.

Reporting by Yoruk Bahceli; editing by Dhara Ranasinghe

Source: Reuters