The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
Extreme weather events impacted India on 314 of 365 days in 2022. Yet, major Indian banks have been unprepared to confront climate risks, according to a new analysis prepared by Bengaluru-based think tank Climate Risk Horizons. The report, Still Unprepared, is based on assessment of the year 2022, and finds …
Central banks, financial institutions, and large companies are increasingly embracing green finance and investment to meet climate goals and achieve carbon neutrality. Global Climate Challenges, Innovative Finance, and Green Central Banking provides a comprehensive and timely analysis of key trends in climate finance, blended finance, debt-for-climate swaps, and green monetary …
Financial and economic concerns are paramount for the international banking industry to continue supporting and investing in the global renewable energy supply system. The transition to renewable energy to achieve the mission of decarbonisation is capital-intensive and needs substantial bank involvement to evaluate the risk-return profiles of such projects. However, …
A Reserve Bank survey has found that engagement of top management in banks on issues concerning climate risk and sustainable finance is "inadequate" and the lenders need to scale up initiatives on environmental matters. Climate risk and sustainable finance has caught the attention of regulators, national authorities and supra-national authorities …
This paper focuses on answering the following question: how can a private sector bank—one that has already committed to shifting its business model towards net-zero emissions—change its client engagement strategy and update its offerings? This paper analyzes action already taken by banks and identifies additional steps private sector banks should …
Lack of policies regulating impact on natural world means finance industry effectively bankrolling biodiversity loss, analysis finds. The world’s largest investment banks provided more than $2.6tn (£1.9tn) of financing linked to the destruction of ecosystems and wildlife last year, according to a new report. The findings in the Bankrolling Extinction …
This discussion brief provides an overview of the development of green banking practices in China, identifying major policies and practices, performance to date, as well as barriers to further expansion. It also explores green banking practices within one of China’s largest banks—the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)—providing practical …
Over a decade has passed since the collapse of the U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers marked the onset of the largest global economic crisis since the Great Depression. The crisis revealed major shortcomings in market discipline, regulation, and supervision, and reopened important policy debates on financial regulation. Since the onset …
Private sector banks are facing political, market, and societal pressure to direct finance towards low carbon, sustainable development. One way they’re signaling their response is through sustainable finance commitments: publicly-made, time-bound commitments to provide or facilitate capital for climate and sustainability solutions. While the commitments may appear straightforward at first …
Water problems could push the non-performing assets of banks higher as many lenders have loan exposure in sectors where there are risks to water resources, says a report. At a time when the banking sector is grappling with mounting NPAs, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report said water risks could …
Indonesian poultry farmer Yohanes Sugihtononugroho faced ruin four years ago when plummeting prices forced him to slaughter all 100,000 of his chickens and shutter his business. He blamed large-scale poultry farmers who carried out a mass cull after their birds fell sick, flooding the market and sending prices tumbling. "We …
From Pakistan to Panama, a steady stream of countries from the Global South have endorsed China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) promoting connectivity since its launch in 2013. The trend continued this week as Senegal and Rwanda inked deals under the BRI banner during President Xi Jinping’s tour of the …
This report is the result of a collaboration between sixteen of the world’s leading banks with UN Environment Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), and climate risk and adaptation advisory firm Acclimatise. The banks set out to develop and test a widely applicable scenario-based approach for estimating the impact of climate change …
Many banks face a climate data gap in identifying the energy technology exposure of the companies in their lending portfolios. That’s pretty serious, as in the next five years, carbon-intensive firms in those portfolios plan to produce more internal-combustion engines and coal-fired power than the maximum the International Energy Agency …
Banks are under pressure to disclose how their lending and investment activities affect global climate goals, but have struggled to choose the right metrics. New research provides insight into which metrics public- and private-sector banks can use, depending on asset class, to report on the extent to which their activities …
Bank holdings in “extreme” fossil fuels skyrocketed globally to $115bn during Donald Trump’s first year as US president, with holdings in tar sands oil more than doubling, a new report has found. A sharp flight from fossil fuels investments after the Paris agreement was reversed last year with a return …
The failure of 59 of the world’s largest banks to recognize climate risks and opportunities threatens to undermine efforts to support the transition to a low-carbon economy. This is the key finding of a report by Boston Common Asset Management report titled "Banking on a Low-Carbon Future". Banks play a …
YES Bank on Wednesday said it will mobilise $1 billion till 2023 and $5 billion till 2030 towards financing solar energy projects in India. The private sector bank made this announcement at the International Solar Alliance (ISA) conference organised at the World Future Energy Summit 2018 in Abu Dhabi. As …
Countries that are open to international banking can benefit from global flows of funds, knowledge, and opportunity, but the regulatory challenges are complex and, at times, daunting says this new report released by the World Bank. Successful international integration has underpinned most experiences of rapid growth, shared prosperity, and reduced …
Efforts by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to upgrade Africa’s agriculture sector is yielding good results with about 5.6 million people benefiting from the bank’s interventions in the past one year. The AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina last week confirmed the bank’s new plans to scale up its focus on regional …
