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We have still a long way to go when it comes to climate. But the result shows that the Bank is transforming faster than anyone could have expected into the EU climate bank.
The European Investment Bank is one of the world’s main financiers of climate action and environmental sustainability.
The decade 2021-2030 is critical to address our planet's climate and environment emergency. To achieve this, trillions of investment are required. We must:
- limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century,
- adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change
- combat environmental degradation,
- halt biodiversity loss, and
- stop widening inequalities.
The European Union is at the forefront of the global fight against climate change and environmental degradation. With the European Green Deal, the EU aims at making the European economy sustainable and inclusive. The EIB is an important partner in this new growth strategy, while playing a leading role in the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.
We put sustainable development at the heart of our activities. All our projects must meet our Environmental and Social Standards, with social development considerations increasingly mainstreamed in everything we do.
EIB Vice-President Fayolle on current and future challenges facing the EU climate bank
EU climate bank
Find out more about EIB’s participation at COP28.
The EIB Group Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025 guides our climate ambition. The Roadmap signals the urgency of the climate and environment crisis and represents our commitment, as the EU climate bank, to support the European Green Deal, help Europe become the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050 and contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our climate and environmental sustainability financing
In 2022, the share of EIB investments that went to climate action and environmental sustainability projects rose to €36.5 billion, or 58%*.
Curious about the green transition?
Our latest stories, videos, podcasts, reports and surveys illustrate inspiring projects, citizens’ and businesses’ concerns and teach about climate change and environmental sustainability.
Key publications
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Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability Overview 2023
This publication gives an overview of the European Investment Bank Group’s support to climate action and environmental sustainability.
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The EIB Environment Framework
How is EIB supporting environmental investments across the world and enhancing the environmental impact and risk assessment of its operations and activities?
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European Investment Bank Climate Action - Eligible sectors and eligibility criteria
As part of the Climate Strategy, the European Investment Bank drew up a List of eligible sectors and eligibility criteria for climate action.
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EIB Environmental and Social Standards Overview
An brief overview of the recently published revised set of EIB Environmental and Social Standards.
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The path to a better planet
Our new climate adaptation plan and a new Paris alignment framework for clients show how we will make smarter investments around the world using the latest science and help everyone transition to cleaner ways of working and living.
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EIB Group Sustainability report 2022
The EIB Group is responding to the myriad crises facing the European Union by making sustainable investments that will help the green transition, spur innovation and grow small businesses.
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European Investment Bank Group Activity Report 2022
Our flagship report shows how the European Investment Bank stepped up to the challenges of 2022.
Key areas
Our lending is aligned with the Paris Agreement and promotes adaptation, mitigation and environmental sustainability
Find out how the roadmap provides a framework to counter climate change and protect the environment during the critical decade ahead
We carefully check that our projects meet our environmental and social principles and standards and conform with our corporate responsibility commitments
We work with many parts of the public and private sectors to increase investment in projects that help the climate and environment
Useful resources
We are among the largest multilateral issuers of green and sustainability bonds.
The EIB and its partners ensure that climate considerations are mainstreamed into all activities.
Not only do we measure the carbon footprint of all our investment projects, we are also committed to reducing our own carbon footprint.
The EIB Institute works closely with the academic community to advance research on climate change and sustainability. We have sponsored the creation of two Climate Chair positions with the European University Institute and Sciences Po to promote research in the field.
Climate bank milestones
2022
A new vision for facing environmental and social challenges
The EIB Group adopted a new Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework. The framework shows how we will focus on sustainable and inclusive development for economies and communities across the globe.
For the first time, a Group-wide Environmental and Social Policy, part of the framework, outlines the Group’s vision on how to address the environmental and social challenges we are facing and uphold human rights in all of our activities.
2021
The path to a better planet
Climate change is affecting every region on Earth, with many of the problems becoming irreversible. This is the make-or-break decade for the planet. Our climate adaptation plan and Paris alignment framework explain how we will make smarter investments for clients around the world based on the latest science, increase support for adaptation projects, improve advisory services, and help everyone transition to cleaner ways of working and living.
2020
EU member states approve EIB Group Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025
The Roadmap sets out in detail how the EIB Group will support the objectives of the European Green Deal and sustainable development outside the European Union in the critical decade 2021-2030. It comes at the end of a stakeholder engagement that included two major events in March and June and more than 200 written submissions to the Bank.
2019
Adoption of an ambitious Energy Lending Policy
Following an intensive stakeholder engagement, the EIB Group decides to phase out the financing of unabated fossil fuel energy projects, including natural gas, by the end of 2021. The Energy Lending Policy is a milestone in the Climate Bank’s fight against climate change. The Board of Directors also approves a new ambition for climate and environmental sustainability.
2018
The EIB issued its first Sustainability Awareness Bonds on the capital markets, intended to directly support sustainable finance. Initially focused on water projects, starting in 2019 SAB proceeds could be used to support education and health projects and, in 2020, to other financing areas directly related to the fight against COVID-19.
Watch the video for more information on the Sustainability Awareness Bonds.
2015
The EIB adopts its climate strategy, the result of a public consultation that has reviewed the EIB Group’s approach to climate action. The EIB Climate Strategy describes the Bank’s vision for its future work on climate action.
2013
Launch of an Emissions Performance Standard (EPS) for all fossil fuel generation projects, which screens out investments whose carbon emissions exceed a threshold level. The EPS becomes part of EIB’s extensive set of climate standards.
2010
Adoption of EIB’s Environmental and Social Handbook, setting guidelines to include environmental concerns and human well-being in our projects.
2007
The EIB issues the world’s first green bonds on the capital markets, called Climate Awareness Bonds (CABs). The funds raised have help finance renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
Starting June 2020, per the EU Taxonomy Regulation, the proceeds from can be used to support other areas of our work to fight climate change, including research, development and deployment of innovative low-carbon technologies, electric rail infrastructure and rolling stock, and electric buses.
Discover in this video some of the projects that CABs have supported.
