Tochigi Bank Offers Impact Loans with Preferential Interest Rates to Companies Including Bell Mall

Tochigi Bank has signed its first contracts for the "Tochigin Sustainability-Linked Loan," an impact financing initiative aimed at supporting corporate activities that address environmental and social issues. These loans offer preferential interest rates based on the achievement levels of individual SDGs and ESG targets.

Contracts were signed at the end of March with five companies in Tochigi Prefecture, including Bell Mall (Utsunomiya City), which operates the commercial complex "Shopping Mall Bell Mall." The loan amount to Bell Mall is 100 million yen, while the amounts for the other companies remain undisclosed.

Tochigi Bank established this loan program in 2022 and has been selecting eligible companies for financing. Clean Energy Solutions, a power subsidiary founded by Tochigi Bank in 2023, will install solar power generation facilities on the roof of Bell Mall. Bell Mall will purchase the electricity generated. The company has set a target to reduce annual CO2 emissions by 41.2% compared to the fiscal year 2009 by fiscal year 2032, with the interest rates on the loan varying according to the reduction rate achieved by the end of fiscal year 2027.