The financing – supported by the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and a €1.9 million grant from the European Union – will benefit renewable energy and resource efficiency projects in Turkey including solar, hydropower, wind, geothermal, waste-to-energy and energy efficiency as well as water saving and waste minimisation projects.

Akbank has a strong track record of on-lending MidSEFF funds. Last year it received US$ 110 million in financing in addition to US$ 100 million in 2011. So far, Akbank has successfully allocated these funds to industrial energy efficiency measures, as well as hydropower, wind and waste-to-energy projects.

SECTOR: Finance

EBRD INVESTMENT: US$ 110 million, plus €1.9 million grant from the European Union

OTHER BENEFITS: Water saving; waste minimisation

The post Akbank renewable energy projects in Turkey appeared first on EBRD Sustainability Report 2016.

The EBRD financing will help Meest Express to implement its strategy of increasing its market share in Ukraine and achieve an expansion of its current network of 400 pick-up and drop-off points by 2020.

Meest Express’s future plans also include the expansion of its network of automated parcel lockers to improve their last-mile delivery, the development of a specialised IT platform and of domestic and international logistical hubs, as well as introducing a series of green investments and developing carbon offset products in line with best practice in the industry.

Sector: Transport

EBRD investment: US$ 10 million

Other benefits: Promoting low-carbon business practices

The post Low-carbon couriers in Ukraine appeared first on EBRD Sustainability Report 2016.

Due to the mountainous terrain, roads are the main means of transport in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 70 per cent of cargo and 90 per cent of passengers carried on its roads. The EBRD loan will contribute to the improvement of service and traffic safety on the country’s road network, including the development of a traffic accident database and the introduction of reforms to internalise external costs through a fuel levy increase.

The improvements to the network will support regional connectivity, making it easier for domestic companies to transport their products to local and regional customers. Supporting regional integration is one of the EBRD’s three main strategic priorities.

SECTOR: Transport

EBRD INVESTMENT: up to €65 million

OTHER BENEFITS: Regional integration; improving traffic management; improved road safety

The post Road repairs and upgrades in Bosnia and Herzegovina appeared first on EBRD Sustainability Report 2016.

But now the EBRD is supporting the development of Student Depot, a new network of privately owned, purpose-built student housing in Poland, with a loan of up to PLN 118.83 million (€27.07 million equivalent) to a Polish-owned company controlled and managed by Griffin Real Estate and Oaktree Capital Group LLC.

The student housing projects will be designed to be as energy efficient as possible. This is particularly significant given that buildings are estimated to be currently responsible for 41 per cent of energy consumption and 36 per cent of CO₂ emissions in Poland.

Griffin will operate the assets in a sustainable manner and will implement a community engagement plan to educate and encourage students to save energy. This initiative will be the first of its kind in Poland and in the EBRD region.

SECTOR: MEI

EBRD INVESTMENT: PLN 118.83 million (€27.07 million equivalent)

OTHER BENEFITS: Boosting the private sector; community engagement

The post Greener student accommodation in Poland appeared first on EBRD Sustainability Report 2016.

The finance line is the third under the Morocco Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (MorSEFF), a comprehensive programme for sustainable energy investments through financial institutions.

The proceeds of this EBRD-led facility are dedicated to financing energy efficiency and small-scale renewable energy investments. BMCE Bank of Africa will on-lend to SMEs and corporates in the commercial and industrial sectors, including commercial construction and energy service companies.

BMCE Bank of Africa will also raise awareness among its clients, promoting energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies and strengthening local production.

In addition, comprehensive technical assistance and investment incentives, funded by the EU NIF and by the EBRD Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) Multi-Donor Fund*, will provide support to BMCE Bank of Africa in the design of business development tools and the successful implementation of the facility. It will also allow clients of BMCE Bank of Africa to receive support for project implementation, as well as investment incentives, encouraging them to make sustainable energy investments.

The post Renewable energy in Morocco appeared first on EBRD Sustainability Report 2016.

The Bank also mobilised an €2 million loan from the Clean Technology Fund, a funding window of the Climate Investment Funds, as well as EU grants.

The investment will support Şişecam’s efforts to boost glass recycling in Turkey and contribute to a more competitive, resource-efficient circular economy.

With over 21,000 employees, production in 13 countries, and sales in as many as 150 countries, Şişecam Group is a global actor in business fields including all main areas of glass such as flat glass, glassware, glass packaging and glass fibre, as well as soda and chrome compounds. Şişecam is the third largest glassware, fourth largest glass packaging and fifth largest flat glass manufacturer in the world in terms of production capacity.

SECTOR: Manufacturing and Services

EBRD INVESTMENT: €40 million

OTHER BENEFITS: Increased glass collection rates; increased energy efficiency in glass recycling and production

The post Şişecam glass recycling in Turkey appeared first on EBRD Sustainability Report 2016.

EBRD funds will finance the renovation of over 100 buildings. According to the Bank’s estimates, investments in insulation and efficiency of building service equipment such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems can achieve energy savings of up to 50 per cent.

In Chisinau, municipal buildings such as kindergartens, schools and hospitals represent a source for considerable energy efficiency.

Refurbishment of public buildings is expected to be supported by a €10 million loan from the European Investment Bank and a €5 million investment grant from the E5P Fund.

As part of the project, the EBRD, with grant funding from the government of Austria, will support the municipality of Chisinau to develop a Green City Action Plan to identify, prioritise and address environmental challenges.

SECTOR: MEI

EBRD INVESTMENT: €10 million

OTHER BENEFITS: Boosting the private sector

The post Making Chisinau greener appeared first on EBRD Sustainability Report 2016.

There are huge opportunities to cut harmful CO₂ emissions, help people save money and make their homes more comfortable.

To foster change, the EBRD has reached out to civil society and teamed up with local non-governmental organisation Camp Alatoo.

The programme was funded by the Slovak Republic and has helped to boost builders’ know-how on energy-saving construction techniques and materials.

The project complements one of the EBRD’s most significant investments in the country. The Kyrgyz Sustainable Energy Efficiency Financing Facility (KyrSEFF) helps both businesses and residential customers to take out loans with one of the EBRD’s partner banks for energy efficiency investments.

The European Union supports this programme by funding various activities, such as energy audits, to help identify the best energy-cutting measures and verify their impact. Other donors include Austria, the Czech Republic, Spain and Sweden.

Builders who have successfully participated in Camp Alatoo’s courses become part of a list of certified installers that KyrSEFF recommends to potential clients.

The post EBRD works with Kyrgyz civil society to build a sustainable future appeared first on EBRD Sustainability Report 2016.

The E5P is providing an investment grant of up to €2 million. This is the first urban transport project in Ukraine to benefit from an E5P grant.

The project will enable the municipality to renew almost its entire trolleybus fleet, which will have a positive impact both on the scope and the quality of services. The new trolleybuses will be 20 per cent more efficient than the current ones, many of which are at least 15 years old.

As a result of the renewal and the shift to energy efficient and environmentally friendly electric transport services, the municipality will benefit from the reduction of hazardous emissions, such as CO₂, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which contribute to high pollution in the city.

The project is implemented under the Ukraine Public Transport Framework approved by the EBRD in 2015.

Sector: Transport

EBRD investment: Up to €8 million

Other benefits: Pollution reduction

The post A new trolleybus fleet for the city of Kremenchuk appeared first on EBRD Sustainability Report 2016.

IQ energy will be implemented through partner-banks UkrSibbank, OTP Bank and Megabank, which have a strong network of branches across Ukraine. The programme will be supported by an extensive energy efficiency awareness campaign.

Eligible borrowers under the programme will be able to receive loans for a wide range of energy efficiency measures. These may include: insulation of walls, roofs and ground floors; installation of modern energy-efficient windows, gas and biomass boilers; heat supply system upgrades; installation of solar thermal systems and many others. The E5P will provide grant funding of up to €15 million.

Almost two decades after signing the first energy efficiency project in the country, the EBRD remains one of the key financiers of the sector by committing more than one-third of its annual investments to this important cause.

Sector: Power and energy

EBRD investment: €75 million

Other benefits: Significant reduction in utility bills

The post Boosting residential energy efficiency in Ukraine appeared first on EBRD Sustainability Report 2016.