Stanbic Holdings Plc financed 133 billion shillings (US$1 billion) in sustainable trade activities across Kenya and South Sudan in 2025, exceeding its green finance target as banks increasingly support climate-focused investments and responsible economic growth.
The lender had set a target of 90 billion shillings in sustainable trade financing but surpassed the goal by nearly 48 percent, according to its 2025 Sustainability Report.
Stanbic said the performance reflected a deliberate shift towards financing projects that deliver both commercial returns and positive environmental and social outcomes.
The bank expanded its sustainable finance portfolio by providing 4.5 billion shillings in green building loans and 273 million shillings for solar energy projects, supporting cleaner energy adoption and environmentally friendly infrastructure.
Stanbic Holdings chief executive Joshua Oigara said the lender had repositioned its lending strategy to focus on sectors that strengthen long-term economic resilience.
“We made a deliberate strategic shift, re-orienting our portfolio toward sectors and segments that foster long-term national resilience, including green financing,” Oigara said.
The report showed that small and medium-sized enterprises remained central to Stanbic’s sustainability agenda.
Through the Stanbic Foundation, the bank provided 105.73 million shillings in grants and catalytic funding to micro, small and medium enterprises, helping entrepreneurs expand operations and withstand economic challenges.
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The lender also supported affordable housing initiatives through 1.8 billion shillings in home financing, contributing to efforts to increase access to decent housing and address Kenya’s housing shortage.
Agriculture received 2.5 billion shillings in climate-smart financing, increasing the sector’s share of Stanbic’s total loan portfolio to 9.9 percent.
The funding supported farmers adopting sustainable production methods aimed at improving yields while reducing environmental impact.
Beyond financing, Stanbic expanded conservation efforts by planting more than 204,000 trees and restoring over 107 hectares of degraded land, including indigenous forests around Mt Kenya and mangrove ecosystems at the Sabaki Estuary.
The bank also highlighted progress in diversity and inclusion, with procurement spending directed to women-owned businesses rising to 15.53 percent. Women now occupy 43 percent of seats on the company’s board.
During the launch of the sustainability report, Stanbic signed the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, strengthening its commitment to gender equality in the workplace and supply chains.
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Through its D.A.D.A platform, which supports women entrepreneurs, Stanbic has disbursed 49.5 billion shillings since the programme began and enrolled more than 112,640 women.
Chief Risk Officer Edwin Mucai said environmental and social risk assessments had improved the quality and resilience of the bank’s lending portfolio.
“Our environmental and social risk management framework, which mandates screening for all loans above $1 million, strengthens the quality and resilience of our loan portfolio,” he said.
The bank said the screening process helps reduce exposure to projects with significant environmental and social risks.
Stanbic Head of Sustainability Priscilla Were said the lender would continue supporting development priorities in Kenya and South Sudan while creating value for communities and shareholders.
To expand sustainability knowledge among businesses, Stanbic launched a Sustainability Academy offering training on environmental, social and governance principles, renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, water management and carbon markets.
The initiative aims to equip companies with skills to adopt sustainable business practices and remain competitive as climate-related financing becomes increasingly important across Africa.
