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Apple released its first Green Bond Impact Report, which highlights 16 projects made possible by proceeds from a $1.5 billion green bond it issued last year. The company allocated approximately $441 million to environmentally beneficial projects in fiscal year 2016, with the majority of funds going toward renewable energy (about $129 million), green building (about $232.6 million), and energy efficiency (about $74.6 million).

Poland has issued the world's first sovereign green bond. The country plans to use the proceeds to finance projects related to renewable energy, clean transportation infrastructure, and more.

Barclays and financial services company MSCI will launch a new Green Bond Index to serve as a benchmark for assessing the performance of green bond funds. The index will be comprised of fixed income projects with direct environmental benefits.

The International Finance Corporation issued a $152 million bond to support private sector development and prevent deforestation in developing countries. The bond gives investors the option of getting repaid in either cash or a carbon-credit coupon - a move to bolster carbon-credit markets.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development has partnered with the Climate Bonds Initiative to help scale up the corporate green bond market.

The bond, launched by World Bank-backed International Finance Corporation, will fund climate smart projects.

Starbucks announced last week that it completed the underwriting of an initial public offering of senior notes, including its first-ever U.S. Corporate Sustainability Bond. The coffee giant said it will use proceeds from $500 million in 2.45% Senior Notes to help enhance the sustainability programs centered around its coffee supply chain management programs through a variety of eligible sustainability projects.

Apple frequently uses debt rather than its flush cash coffers to finance corporate initiatives, such as stock repurchase programs - it makes sense to do so for tax reasons. But, the company's latest appeal to the public debt markets includes another "first" for Apple and the tech industry at large: Apple is issuing $1.5 billion in green bonds to pay for a wide range of environmental initiatives.

Starbucks has reportedly requested around $496 million in funding from its investors to finance projects that increase "responsibly grown" coffee purchases, establish research centers to help farmers boost production, and more.

Morgan Stanley said it plans to pour $250 billion into low-carbon financing over the next 12 years, funding renewable energy and clean tech ventures and underwriting so-called sustainable bonds, which are debt for environmental projects.

Wells Fargo plans to put $200 billion toward investment in, and finance of, companies and projects involved with clean technologies, renewable energy, green bonds and alternative transportation, by 2030. The funds will also go toward companies and projects focused on sustainable agriculture, recycling, conservation and other environmental activities, as part of a company-wide effort to support - and be part of - the transition to a low-carbon economy

The Nigerian Government has spoken of its plans to seriously scale-up its green finance initiatives over the coming year.

Ocean conservation finance gets boost from banks