Rating, Credit Decision and Pricing - How Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessments are Changing Credit Practice

Abstract

Investment decisions by bank customers are increasingly linked to the demand for green investments. Without a meaningful life-cycle costing approach, the danger remains that both bank and customer are exposed to the risk of green washing. The same applies to lending decisions: here, the bank must ultimately assess the business model of the borrower as well as the subject of the loan. Without monetary integration of environmental indicators, the existing rating systems lose their ability to make accurate assessments of creditworthiness. Investment objects like real estate would be assessed with incorrect market values and, accordingly, the lending decision would be based on inadequate data. Based on this, the practice of lending is facing considerable adjustments.