Accra, May 30, GNA – Mr Atta Yeboah Gyan, the Deputy Managing Director, Operations and Support Functions at Fidelity Bank, says the bank prioritises integrating climate adaptation into its core lending strategy.
He said such a lending strategy highlighted the bank’s role in private capital mobilisation for a climate-resilient future.
The Deputy MD of the bank shared the bank’s innovative approach during a panel discussion at the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme Partnership Forum at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.
The event was on the theme: “Unlocking Growth through Climate Resilience and Private Sector Leadership.”
“At Fidelity Bank Ghana, we consider climate adaptation a strategic imperative – not only as a risk management issue, but also a value creation opportunity,” he said.
He elaborated on the bank’s proactive stance of identifying climate risk as a critical ESG material topic through its double materiality assessment, integrated into the environmental and social governance processes.
The commitment was further solidified by a robust Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), meticulously aligned with IFC Performance Standards and the Bank of Ghana’s Sustainable Banking Principles.
The Deputy MD revealed that the bank recently conducted its first portfolio-level climate scenario analysis across its Retail and Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) segments to effectively manage both physical and transition climate risks.
“This comprehensive assessment, which also included an internal analysis of potential climate-related disruptions to the bank’s branches and ATMs, has directly informed the creation of detailed climate risk heatmaps, significantly enhancing the bank’s understanding of exposure and reinforcing long-term resilience,” he said.
Mr Gyan stated that the bank’s sustainability initiatives, such as its three-year Climate Implementation Plan, were aligned with Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
That further solidified the vision, ensuring that the bank’s financing supported national climate adaptation priorities.
Mr Gyan said beyond internal risk management, Fidelity Bank was actively working to unlock private finance for adaptation and resilience across Ghana.
“We’ve launched an Electric Vehicle (EV) Financing product to promote green transport, and asset finance products to help schools and hospitals integrate solar energy into their energy mix – reducing their exposure to energy disruptions,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe