The world’s six multilateral development banks today reaffirmed their shared commitment to lead by example by continuing to reinforce and further develop climate financing through a joint statement issued in advance of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Climate Summit being convened in New York on 23rd September.

The African Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), European Investment Bank (EIB), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and World Bank Group (WBG) together pledged to maintain a strong institutional focus on climate change. This will include leveraging additional private sector investment, continuing to innovate and promote more robust and transparent climate finance tracking and reporting.

“The European Investment Bank is committed to supporting investment that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and enables adaptation to the consequences of climate change. As the EU bank we share the commitment of other multilateral development banks to enabling climate related investment in developing countries and continually seek to share experience from across all our areas of operation.” said Jonathan Taylor, European Investment Bank Vice President responsible for climate action.

Since they began jointly tracking climate finance flows in 2011, the six multilateral development banks have delivered nearly US$75 billion in financing to help developing countries and emerging economies respond to the challenges of climate change. On average, about 80 percent of this lending has supported investment in mitigation activities and 20 percent to adaptation.

The statement also confirmed the intention of the multilateral development banks to count and track climate finance investments in the same way. This is expected to enable greater cooperation and shared experience between the banks and other financial bodies involved in climate action.

With their ability to catalyze public and private funds, the multilateral development banks have successfully attracted and deployed climate financing to support low-carbon resilient growth in developing countries and emerging economies.

To read the full joint statement, please click here.