Brazilian data center Elea Digital has raised more than $100 million in sustainability-linked debt.

The company this week announced R570 million (US$115.8m) in debentures linked to sustainability goals.

The proceeds will be used to facilitate ongoing organic expansion and align the company's infrastructure with international standards.

Interest rates on the sustainability-linked bonds will be tied to targets around energy efficiency, reduced water consumption, and having female leadership in more than 40 percent of managerial positions.

Alessandro Lombardi, president of Elea Digital, said: “Elea Digital continues to innovate and stands out as a pioneer in the Latin American market in building responsible infrastructure, envisioning a green and digital future.”

He continued: “To achieve this, we have decided that it is not enough to have a high female presence in the company; rather, we must ensure that our women hold leadership positions, positions of decision-making. We believe this will make us more competitive, advanced, and attuned to what matters most to us: the sustainable future of the industry.”

It is the second sustainability-linked financing the company has secured. The issuance was led by Bradesco BBI, with UBS/BB, BTG Pactual, and Banco ABC serving as coordinators.

Rafael Garcia Fonseca Ferreira Lima, head of Fixed Income at Bradesco BBI, added: “By taking on the goal of women in leadership roles, the company reinforces its commitment to the diversity agenda, considering the low female penetration in the sector. Bradesco BBI strengthens its support, participating in all the company’s issuances.”

Elea describes itself as having a portfolio of Edge data centers. The company has seven data centers across Brasília (two), Curitiba, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Porto Alegre (two).

The company was founded by Piemonte Holding in 2019, and in 2021 was invested in by Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Whether general-purpose sustainability-linked loans or project-specific green bonds, sustainability-linked financing is quickly becoming a common trend amongst data center and telco firms. The likes of Equinix, AirTrunk, ESR, SunEvision Verizon, Aligned, Telefónica, NTT, Digital Realty, Flexential, Netrality, and Nabiax have all raised new green-tied funds or converted existing debt to include interest rates tied to sustainability and ESG goals.

Versions of this story appeared on our Spanish and Brazilian editions.