Kenya's banking industry has launched a roadmap to guide lenders in scaling sustainable finance, managing climate and nature risks and channelling capital into green investments, the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) said on November 3.
The Banking Industry Sustainable Finance Roadmap, developed by KBA through its Centre for Sustainable Finance and Enterprise Development with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and WWF-Kenya, sets out an industry-wide framework for embedding sustainability into governance, risk management, lending, reporting and capital allocation.
It comes as Kenya seeks to mobilise private capital for climate resilience and development priorities. KBA says the plan will help banks identify climate-related risks, unlock green investment opportunities and bring MSMEs into the transition.
"The roadmap offers an opportunity to consolidate the industry's progress and set a more practical direction for the next phase of our sustainable finance journey," said KBA Chairman and KCB Group CEO Paul Russo.
KBA Chief Executive Officer Raimond Molenje said the framework ties together existing industry initiatives and sets out the steps needed to widen adoption.
"For financial institutions, this means strengthening the integration of sustainability into governance, risk management, reporting and capital allocation," he said.
Environment and Climate Change Principal Secretary Festus Ngeno, said environmental protection must be treated as an economic priority rather than only a conservation duty.
"Environmental protection must be understood not merely as a conservation responsibility, but as an essential part of our economic planning and long-term prosperity," Eng. Ngeno said.
IFC Regional Director for Eastern Africa Mary Porter Peschka called the launch "an important milestone for Kenya's financial sector," adding the lender was "proud to have partnered with KBA on this journey.”
WWF-Kenya CEO Jackson Kiplagat said the focus must now shift to implementation.
"The focus must now be on implementation, turning commitments into decisions that shape lending, investments, and risk management across the financial sector," he said, adding the organisation would support member banks in developing Nature Transition Plans.
The roadmap was unveiled at the Banking Industry Sustainable Finance Summit 2026, which brought together banking leaders, investors, development partners, regulators and policymakers.
