A meeting of the Expert Council of the Subcommittee for Sustainable Development and Green Finance of the State Duma Committee for Financial Market took place on 13 April 2023. An expert from Center-invest Bank took part in a discussion on the implementation of ESG ratings, national climate projects and the prospects for Islamic banking.

Mr. Alexander Dolganov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Center-invest Bank, shared the bank’s unique experience in implementing energy efficiency projects and ESG products, all of which contribute to achieving the goals of the National Projects and the Sustainable Development Goals. To date, the bank has invested 418.8 billion roubles in the Sustainable Development Goals and 389.8 billion roubles in the National Projects.

Center-invest Bank is one of the largest regional banks in southern Russia to implement the ESG banking business model. In 2022, the bank introduced an ESG rating system for its small and medium-sized corporate clients. The Bank is implementing an energy efficiency programme, introducing green products, and estimating the carbon footprint — the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the projected consumption of all energy resources by the apartment building.