| Green Finance: Scaling-Up to Make a Difference |
FFI's goal is to help build the market for green technologies by working with both providers of green technologies and end-users. We are designing green finance products, creating capacity within financial institutions to analyze green technologies, sourcing capital for expanding green portfolios, and building awareness among businesses, households and communities. We hope to make green finance into a "normal" financial product that is widely disseminated and easily accessible to households and businesses.
Bridging the finance gap: we are creating linkages with manufacturers, trade associations and research institutes working on green technologies, particularly their dissemination. Often there are sound technologies but finance is not available in local communities to cover their up-front costs. We want to bridge this gap for viable projects.
|
For Financial Institutions ('FIs'), we undertake the following activities:
- Develop loan products and other financial instruments, processes, and procedures for EERE technologies taking into account technical specifications, pay-back periods, emissions, etc.
- Implement credit lines to finance EERE technologies for households and MSME clients
-
Conduct market analysis on energy sector prices and policies, supply structure, end-use demand, market participants, EERE providers, product information
- Portfolio reviews to understand client needs and demand patterns
- Institutionalize EERE finance by creating a dedicated EERE group within the FI and increasing awareness at all levels of the FI
- Strengthen staff through technical training of lending personnel, management seminars and train the trainers programs
- Implement tools for measuring and monitoring energy savings and CO2 emissions reductions
- Mobilize demand through marketing, PR, and client awareness, and by supporting energy audits, providing information on various technologies, etc.
- Green branches through programs to change FI staff behavior (recycling, new procurement policies, etc.) and through retrofits to existing buildings and building new premises with green principles in mind
| |
Greening our Own Buildings
By reducing our reliance on fossil fuels in our own office and the banks in which we work we set an example. Our aim in greening our buildings is to:
- Reduce our own footprint (energy, materials, water, waste, etc.) by identifying cost effective changes that can be made through modifications in technology, operational strategies and human behavior
-
Raise staff awareness
- Provide "best practice" examples for local communities
- Promote green products by putting green procurement policies in place
Featured Project: In Albania our LEED certifeied environmental engineer is working with ProCredit Bank Albania's local architects and engineers to design a state-of-the art green branch. The branch, which is located in Tirana, will demonstrate to staff and the general public the benefits of green building. We are greening the premises and the outside area around the branch in order to further engage the public. FFI's team is also exchanging know-how with local suppliers. We are also designing a sustainability training program for bank personnel that will help reduce the bank's energy costs, reduce material waste, and improve water use throughout the bank's network. In a related project in Albania, FFI's green team is reviewing the design for a remotely located school.
|
|
