ع
Central Bank of Egypt Governor Hassan Abdalla told participants at a Cairo conference that climate change now constitutes a financial matter rather than solely an environmental one. Abdalla highlighted the regulator’s issuance of Sustainable Finance Guiding Principles in 2021, binding regulations the following year and a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism directive in 2025 as key steps in directing banks toward sustainability. The governor added that these measures seek to bolster financial stability and improve the long-term competitiveness of the national economy, according to a summary of his remarks released by the Central Bank of Egypt. The event on Feb. 15, 2026, organised in partnership with the International Finance Corporation under the theme Innovating for Resilience, drew senior figures including IFC Regional Vice President for Africa Ethiopis Tafara, Investment Minister Mohamed Farid and Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso.
Panel discussions at the gathering examined approaches to mobilising private capital for climate initiatives, creating innovative financing tools for green projects and reinforcing policy frameworks that support resilient banking systems. Attendees from financial institutions and government bodies across the region called for stronger collaboration to align financial systems with climate objectives throughout Egypt and Africa. An IFC overview of the conference noted that speakers also pointed to potential economic gains including job creation in sectors such as agricultural technology as the transition progresses. Tafara stated that for fifty years the IFC has worked with Egypt to convert economic challenges into opportunities by backing a competitive private sector.
Separate protocols signed on the sidelines will channel additional resources into sustainable activities at two Egyptian banks. The IFC committed as much as $220 million for Banque Misr, encompassing a $150 million three-year senior sustainability loan paired with technical assistance to direct proceeds toward climate-eligible assets and ensure appropriate monitoring. Officials from the Export Development Bank of Egypt agreed to an advisory programme that will enhance data governance and the measurement of green financing outcomes to expand the lender’s role in climate-positive projects. Both institutions described the arrangements as contributions to Egypt’s broader shift toward a low-carbon economy.
The conference operated as a component of the IFC’s 30by30 programme, active in Egypt as well as Mexico, South Africa and the Philippines to promote inclusive sustainable growth. IFC assessments indicate the programme has enabled $680 million in investments across sustainable projects in Egypt while partner banks have disbursed $634 million in sustainable energy finance loans. Additional figures from the IFC place investments in energy and resource efficiency at $470 million under the initiative to date.
Egypt has expanded its sustainable finance activity in recent years with the issuance of sovereign green bonds valued at $750 million in 2020 and a $100 million corporate green bond by Commercial International Bank developed with IFC support three years later. The country’s Economic and Social Development Plan for fiscal year 2024/25 directs 50 percent of public investments toward green projects, according to Ministry of Planning and Economic Development documents. A Sustainable Banking and Finance Network review of emerging markets placed these actions within wider efforts to scale climate finance through regulated financial channels.
Since starting operations in Egypt the IFC has invested and mobilised nearly $10 billion in development projects while sustaining an advisory portfolio of $27 million in the country. Central Bank of Egypt officials have integrated these international partnerships into domestic regulatory updates aimed at managing climate-related risks within bank portfolios. Conference participants underscored the importance of continued policy innovation and private-sector involvement to meet national sustainability targets and unlock associated market opportunities.
