Equity Bank strengthens green finance with UGEFA accelerator training

Equity Bank Uganda has strengthened its internal capacity to attract new clients and mobilize green finance opportunities following an intensive training under the Uganda Green Enterprise Finance Accelerator (UGEFA).

The three-day Green Loan Product Development Training, facilitated by UGEFA’s Green Finance Experts, brought together 20 operational staff from across the bank’s key departments such as, Product Development, Finance, Environment Social, Governance (ESG) and Sustainability, Public Sector and Social Investment, Credit and Front Office, Risk, Reporting and Data, Marketing, as well as Branch Operations.

 The training was held at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala and concluded with a simple graduation ceremony where participants received certificates.

The program was designed to equip SME-focused teams with practical tools to design green loan products that balance commercial viability with measurable environmental impact. Participants were guided through critical components such as eligibility criteria, risk management, pricing models, and go to market strategy.

Uganda’s green SME sector continues to face significant financing gaps. Many enterprises remain underserved due to limited collateral, lack of credit history, and the longer payback periods often associated with green investments. These challenges have slowed the growth of environmentally sustainable businesses.

For financial institutions, the segment has traditionally presented hurdles including high transaction costs, difficulty in assessing emerging green technologies, and perceived risk exposure. However, the growing demand for sustainable finance and the introduction of Uganda’s National Green Taxonomy present new opportunities for banks ready to innovate.

By developing tailored green loan products, banks can unlock new client segments, strengthen ESG compliance, and position themselves as leaders in a rapidly expanding sustainable finance market.

Catherine Psogmen, Director Public Sector and Social Investment at Equity Bank Uganda, who was the Chief Guest at the graduation ceremony, emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships and regulatory alignment.

“As a Bank we appreciate the partnership that we have with the European Union and adelphi GLOBAL under the UGEFA Project. We learned something on scoping opportunities. This is critical. The regulatory environment and the terrain within which we operate and how we should comply to some of those areas, regulatory areas such as the green taxonomy, climate risk regulations and the expectations vary. We need to demonstrate that we have a sustainable organization,” she said.

She reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to implementing the lessons from the training. “You have our commitment that we will indeed implement and grow the numbers when it comes to refinancing,” she added.

Virginia Ssemakula, Pillar Head Energy, Environment and Climate Change at Equity Bank Uganda, noted that building internal expertise is essential to scaling sustainable finance solutions. She highlighted that strengthening staff capacity enables the bank to confidently structure green products that respond to market needs while aligning with national and global climate priorities.

The training concluded with a clear outcome-a practical starting point for developing a bank ready green loan product and a stronger institutional foundation to mobilize green finance.

Through partnerships under UGEFA, Equity Bank Uganda is positioning itself not only as a financial intermediary, but as a catalyst for Uganda’s green enterprise growth and sustainable development journey.