Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, President and Board Chairman of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), has underlined the bank's dedication to sustainable development initiatives and climate challenges.

The European Investment Bank has awarded EBID a million euros to improve the regional bank's climate-related and sustainable development projects, Dr. Agyekum Donkor said in a statement following the Financial Institution of the Year, Africa category award at the Africa Sustainability Awards, which were held on Monday, December 30 at the Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre.

Myriam Montrat, the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, presented the award to Dr. Agyekum Donkor, who stated, "It is crucial that we focus on climate issues in line with SDG 13 in order to be able to sustain our operations."

As a result, the bank has pledged to make sure that climate concerns are given careful consideration. As a result, we have funded several climate-related projects in every West African nation.



The bank genuinely funds initiatives in the fields of agriculture, energy, mining, infrastructure, industry, and services, according to the president of EBID.




"The African Sustainability Awards have acknowledged our role as a leading institution dedicated to climate change and sustainable development activities because of this," he said. And for that reason, they have bestowed upon us a prize. Our dedication to addressing climate challenges in West Africa, as well as throughout Africa and the world, is reaffirmed by this award.

The award was dedicated by Dr. Agyekum Donkor to the Board of Governors, the Finance Ministers, the Board of Directors, and the whole staff of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, whose perseverance and diligence have brought the bank this remarkable honor.

In accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this award honors EBID's exceptional commitment to sustainable practices throughout Africa and its advancement of the continent's environmental, social, and economic development.

Under the direction of its Strategy for 2021–2025, the Bank has so far committed more than USD 1 billion to sustainability-driven projects, in keeping with its goal of expanding access to sustainable financial resources in West Africa.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) recently extended a line of credit in the amount of EUR 100 million to promote climate-friendly and sustainable projects in the ECOWAS sub-region, demonstrating the Bank's global recognition for its commitment to sustainable initiatives.

Recall that EBID formally committed to green financing and sustainability activities in February 2023 when it released its first Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Finance Framework.

The first installment of the Bank's educational series, "The President's Round Table," with the theme "Greening West Africa," was held in October 2023. The event, which brought together sustainability and environmental specialists from all around the continent, concentrated on how climate change is affecting West Africa and offered suggestions for climate-responsible economic growth.

A Green, Social, and Sustainable (GSS) Bond that was oversubscribed in less than 48 hours was also issued by EBID, the first Development Finance Institution (DFI) to do so on the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM), the regional financial market for UEMOA.

A high-level team from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), South Korea, recently visited the Bank to examine ways to better position the Bank to serve the sub-region in this area as part of the Bank's ongoing efforts to finalize its accreditation to the GCF.

A platform known as the African Sustainability Awards (ASA) recognizes people, groups, companies, non-governmental organizations, and governmental entities that exhibit a strong dedication to sustainable practices.

Renowned Ghanaian artists Rocky Dawuni, Sherifa Gunu, Amandzeba, Adaha Band, and Bessa Simons performed to kick off the award celebration.