The pricing mechanism of green bonds and the determinants of the green bond premium

Investors have been reallocating their capital toward sustainable investments and green assets as a new investment strategy. However, a fundamental question still remains: are fixed-income investors willing to accept lower returns when investing in green assets, and what driver this capital shift? This report delves into the concept of "greenium" and its determinants. Using post-issuance data from the European corporate bond markets spanning from January 2018 to October 2023, I empirically investigate the presence of green bond premia and the factors driving this premium, with a specific focus on external reviews and the dynamics of Use of Proceeds. The findings reveal that, on average, green bonds exhibit an 8.1 basis points lower yield compared to their matched non-green counterparts. Moreover, reviewed green bonds demonstrate a pricing advantage over standard green bonds. Additionally, green bonds allocated towards Climate Change Adaptation and Eligible Green projects display more pronounced green bond premia, indicating investor preference for bonds financing these environmentally impactful initiative

Climate Change and Sustainable Agricultural Practices Program in Northern Vietnam: An Approach to Evaluation

Climate change is the biggest challenge to human beings. Among other Southeast Asia countries, Vietnam is considered to be one of the countries that has the most affected by climate change. Climate change is threatening the food security and agricultural development of Vietnam as well as affecting the country’s economy. Climate Change and Sustainable Agricultural Practices Program in Northern Vietnam: An Approach to Evaluation provides a brief review of the “Climate Change and Ethnic Minorities in Northern Vietnam” Project (CEMI), which is implemented by Agricultural Development Denmark Asia in collaboration with People and Nature Reconciliation in Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Son La provinces. The research focuses on the climate change problem in Vietnam; identifies some unsustainable agricultural practices that the ethnic farmers use and the sustainable practices that exist. From there, the paper will include the Term of Reference (TOR), which is a planning tool for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) for the project. The TOR will include the project description of CEMI, stakeholders mapping and their participation level in the project, the theory of change of the project as well as the logical framework, the budget timeline, and approaches that are used to evaluate the project and data collection plan. This capstone paper is a course – linked paper that ties the research and M&E concepts together; how M&E has been applied to climate change indicators and some approaches that practitioners can use for the purpose of M&E

Moving forward with dignity : exploring health awareness in an isolated deaf community of Australia

Background Those within the Deaf community are disadvantaged in a number of aspects of day-to-day life including their access to health care. At times, they may encounter barriers to health care even before they reach the consultation room. As a consequence, they may receive insufficient and inappropriate health care which may lead to poorer health outcomes. Objective A study was conducted to explore health awareness and access to health information and services of Deaf people living in Tasmania, Australia and identify ways of enhancing the interaction between the Deaf and the wider community. Methods A questionnaire was administered, including a number of demographic, health awareness and health service usage questions. In addition, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with service providers and the Deaf community between March and August 2014. An interpreter was present to translate the questions into Auslan and who then translated the Deaf participant's discussion into English for the researcher. Data were then analyzed using research software SPSS v20.0 and NVivo 10.0. Results Health as a concept was poorly understood, including mental health, sexual health and health concerning alcohol and drug abuse. Regarding health care resources, due to a sense of security, trust and confidence, the family physician or general practitioner was the single most important health care provider among the Deaf. Conclusions The Deaf remain underserved by the current health care system; however, through resourcefulness and life experiences, the Deaf have developed coping and management strategies to move forward with dignity in education, meaningful employment and health access. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Living in a regional area : access, utilisation and health care quality

Primary health care plays a significant role in the well-being of individuals and communities, yet access to these services can vary. Factors such as socio-economic status and location of residence can impact this access. A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between location, utilisation, quality and health outcomes of primary health care services in the Meander Valley municipality of Tasmania, Australia. This paper reports the findings of the study which adopted a mixed-methods approach with multiple sources of data including government reports, survey questionnaires and interviews. The regional socio-economic disadvantage reflected not only the health disparities and poorer health conditions, but also the affordability to seek care. This was compounded by the lower levels of available health services and private health insurance. The lack of local services or their low quality was the main motivation for many to seek care outside of the region, which was unaffordable and at times logistically impossible. On the basis of the findings, a number of recommendations are provided to guide the current and future health care services and to improve the well-being of the Meander Valley community

Access to health care services in an Australian rural area – a qualitative case study

The study is aimed at investigating access to primary health care by examining various access parameters such as availability, accessibility, and affordability in Meander Valley, Northern Tasmania, Australia. Qualitative research design and data analysis were adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 people that were recruited through convenience sampling. The findings indicated that participants generally expressed relative satisfaction with local health care service provision, although a number of participants cited satisfaction with some services and dissatisfaction with others. The main issues of concern were the absence of specialised, dental and after-hours care, high cost of services, and issues of access to transport. The resourcefulness of people with chronic health issues and their carers emerged as important, as was the relationship between lifestyle choices, alternative and mainstream health care options. This study revealed major barriers to health care access by residents in rural Australia, which calls for urgent corrective measures. Further research should be directed to the exploration of the experience and expertise of carers and health professionals so as to obtain a more complete picture of access to health care services in rural settings. In addition, the study recommends a thorough investigation of the alternative health care options

Factors influencing community nursing roles and health service provision in rural areas : a review of literature

Aims: This review sought to better understand the issues and challenges experienced by community nurses working in rural areas and how these factors shape their role. Methods: Databases were searched to identify relevant studies, published between 1990 and 2015, that focussed on issues and challenges experienced by rural community nurses. Generic and grey literature relating to the subject was also searched. The search was systematically conducted multiple times to assure accuracy. Results: A total of 14 articles met the inclusion criteria. This critical review identified common issues impacting community nursing and included role definition, organisational change, human resource, workplace and geographic challenges. Conclusion: Community nurses are flexible, autonomous, able to adapt care to the service delivery setting, and have a diversity of knowledge and skills. Considerably more research is essential to identify factors that impact rural community nursing practice. In addition, greater advocacy is required to develop the role. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Stakeholder Involvement and the Attainment of SDGs at Local Tourism Destinations: A Case Study in Vietnam

This paper explores how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be achieved at local tourism destinations through the collective efforts of stakeholders. A multiple-case study is conducted at Da Nang and Hue in Vietnam. These destinations experience a controversial concern between tourism development and natural/cultural preservation. A thematic analysis of qualitative data reveals the cooperation of various stakeholders to prevent the encroachment of tourism development in the natural environment in Da Nang or balance heritage preservation and tourism development in Hue. These collective efforts facilitate the achievement of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goal to attain various SDGs in each case. This research contributes to sustainability research by revealing the contribution and effects of collective actions in achieving the common goals related to the sustainable development of local destinations