News

For environmental protection: Uzpromstroybank awarded EDGE certificate

Uzpromstroybank building awarded EDGE certificate. This bank was one of the first among commercial banks of Uzbekistan to receive such certificate.

According to the Decree of the President of the country dated January 28, 2022 on the Development Strategy of the New Uzbekistan in 2022–2026, through the active introduction of “green economy” technologies in all areas, measures are being taken to increase the energy efficiency of the economy by 20 percent by 2026, reduce the emissions of harmful gases by the same amount, as well as increase the share of renewable energy sources by 25 percent, energy efficiency of buildings and structures by 30 percent.

As part of the implementation of the Decree, the introduction of energy- and resource-saving technologies in the bank’s system, in particular, the certification of the institution’s buildings, is carried out on the basis of recommendations of consultants of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

The IFC program “Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies” (EDGE) is used.

The measures to obtain the EDGE certificate for Uzpromstroybank buildings were launched at the end of 2023. The research and environmental engineering center “HPBS B.V” (Netherlands) was selected to implement the project.

At present, forty buildings of the Bank have been studied for compliance with the EDGE requirements. Based on the first assessment works and technical reports given on their results, a number of the Bank’s buildings have passed the EDGE audit. As a result, one of the Bank’s buildings was recognized as compliant with the EDGE certificate.

“Uzpromstroybank deeply feels social responsibility for reducing the consequences of environmental threats that concern humanity,” said Deputy Chairman of the Bank’s Management Board Farrukh Abdurakhmanov. “To this end, the principles of “green banking” have been introduced among the first in the country in the transformation processes carried out to turn the Bank into a modern financial institution. It should be noted that obtaining the EDGE certificate is also another practical confirmation of our planned work in this direction.

– Uzpromstroybank pays serious attention to the issues of sustainable development and climate change, – says Anna Zavaleeva, head of the representative office of the research and environmental engineering center "HPBS B.V." in Uzbekistan. – In this area, the comprehensive and integrated approaches that the bank adheres to give high results in reducing climate risks. This, in turn, has a positive effect on attracting international "green" investments to the economy of Uzbekistan.

It should be noted that during the certification of the bank's building, electricity consumption decreased by 23 percent, water use - by 24 percent, and the carbon footprint of building materials - by 100 percent. During the work, the emission of more than 320 tons of harmful gas was prevented.

Currently, work is underway to certify and bring the remaining buildings of the Bank in line with the requirements of the EDGE standard. Reference: the EDGE standard developed by the IFC helps stimulate the creation of “green” and sustainable buildings in developing countries, as well as obtaining various benefits from international institutions. This standard is also a favorable tool for CIS countries in developing “green” financing resources from international banks.

Bank Information Service

Go back

20