In a move to strengthen sustainable banking practices and enhance climate risk management, ABC Bank is conducting an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) capacity-building programme delivered in partnership with the European Investment Bank.
The initiative, which began in April last year and culminated in a Training of Trainers (ToT) session in December, aimed to equip staff across departments with practical ESG skills to support responsible lending, strategy, and regulatory compliance.
The bi-weekly hands-on training, which is designed to ensure ESG considerations are embedded into the bank’s daily and long-term decision-making, brings together a cross-functional team to deepen understanding of climate risk and prepares them to cascade ESG knowledge across departments and branches, ensuring institution-wide adoption.
According to Neema, Manager-Credit Risk, the training provided practical insights into identifying and managing climate-related risks, adding, “We gained a deeper understanding of climate risks, from extreme weather events to regulatory and market changes, and how they affect operations, borrowers’ cash flows, and collateral. A major takeaway was climate risk materiality assessment, which supports better credit decisions, improved ESG disclosures, and reputational risk management. We also learnt how to calculate the Bank’s carbon footprint.”
From a people and culture perspective, Julius, Senior Manager- Human Resources, emphasised the importance of internal knowledge transfer, saying, “The ToT cohort will begin sharing this knowledge within their departments before a structured rollout across the Bank, supported by follow-ups to ensure ESG principles become part of the new norm.”
The Training of Trainers programme plays a critical role in building lasting ESG capability across the Bank. By empowering internal teams with practical knowledge and tools, the ABC Bank is strengthening its ability to manage climate-related risks, meet regulatory expectations, and advance its sustainability agenda.
