Create a sustainable finance strategy with EDGE for green lending and certified green building projects.
Start your bank’s transition to a smarter way of investing in the property sector. Adopt EDGE and book a portfolio with higher asset value and less risk. EDGE helps banks support sustainable construction, green building certification, and climate-aligned lending strategies.
Why Integrate EDGE into Your Sustainable Investment Practices?
Using EDGE as a green building verification instrument allows investors and financial institutions to drive the real estate sector toward eco-friendly construction, while improving returns and portfolio resilience. Here are the top reasons for banks to stimulate green building growth:
Access New Sources of Green Finance
Gain liquidity from a diversified investor base through green bonds, green credit facilities, and green securitization, all supporting eco-friendly building and sustainable construction initiatives.
Green Brand Recognition
Capitalize on the rising demand for certified green builders and eco-friendly construction by positioning your institution as the “green bank” of choice in global real estate finance.
Enhanced ESG Performance & Reporting
EDGE software calculates projected carbon emissions reductions, helping certified properties demonstrate strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance in institutional and shareholder reporting.
Increased Market Share
Win a greater share of the market through innovative green financing that responds to the direction the market is heading.
Lower Risk, Higher Value Investments
Invest in sustainable building assets with higher market value and lower long-term risk. EDGE-certified buildings offer improved performance and better returns through green construction practices.
Launch New Green Finance Products
Introduce targeted offerings such as green building loans, eco-mortgages, and green construction financing to meet growing demand and attract sustainability-focused clients.
Portfolio-Wide Sustainability Opportunity
Transition your entire portfolio toward green architecture and sustainable building certification. EDGE makes it simple to meet evolving green investment requirements across multiple property types.
Simplified Green Compliance
An EDGE certificate is proof that a client has uploaded their compliance materials into the EDGE software and met eligibility criteria, with independent certification by an approved provider.
Hear from Global Institutions Embracing EDGE
Around the world, leading banks and green finance providers are showcasing how EDGE green building certification is shaping their sustainability strategies. By supporting eco-friendly architecture, net-zero building goals, and green lending, they’re not only enhancing customer value—but also building stronger, more recognizable green finance brands.
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Stanbic Bank is one of the first institutions in Ghana to offer sustainable finance products tailored for the real estate sector. By aligning its principles with EDGE green building certification, the bank is pioneering the future of eco-friendly architecture and green construction in West Africa. Stan Deh, the Head of Structured Products for the bank, shares how Stanbic is aligning their principles to EDGE. According to Stan, if everyone comes together, “the world wins.”
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Nigeria has a housing deficit of 22 million units, a problem that is compounded by high interest rates and a general lack of access to finance. Urbanization in cities like Lagos, projected to reach 80 million people, intensifies the need for sustainable building materials and eco houses. Through EDGE, banks and developers are finding innovative pathways to finance affordable green homes, creating scalable models for net-zero building and eco-friendly construction materials in Africa.
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Growing evidence exists that the finance of green buildings has better returns, presenting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the current generation of bankers. In Mexico, leaders in the industry are realizing social, environmental and economic benefits while delivering on their core business. They have confidence in integrating EDGE into their investment practices in the future.
Consider the mix of green financial products that can be offered with EDGE.
Banks play a critical role in shifting the construction sector toward low-carbon, net-zero buildings—often with minimal changes to their internal systems. By leveraging EDGE certification, financial institutions can offer a variety of sustainable building finance products that support eco-friendly architecture, green construction materials, and energy-efficient housing.
Green Construction Finance
Green construction finance typically includes preferential rates, better terms, and/or a promotional offer to cover certification costs for property developers who commit to building with green construction materials, greener steel, or other sustainable house building materials. These loans align with green building certification goals and support compliance.
Green Mortgages
Green mortgages enable buyers to purchase certified green buildings or eco houses, incorporating the cost of sustainable design into the loan. With reduced utility bills from energy-efficient design, homeowners benefit from lower long-term costs, while lenders align with green lending and green climate funding initiatives.
Green Bonds
Green bonds are a fixed-income instrument that are earmarked to raise money for climate-smart investments, including real estate. These instruments support capital markets focused on eco-friendly building development and low-carbon infrastructure.
Discover the Financial Institutions Leading the Green Building Movement
Around the world, banks, green lenders, and insurance providers are taking the lead in incentivizing green building certification. By offering financial benefits tied to EDGE, they’re motivating property developers to adopt eco-friendly construction, use sustainable building materials, and pursue net-zero building strategies.
Aavas
Absa
Access Bank
Banbif
Banco Agricola
Banco Bogotá
Banco Caja Social
Banco Fássil
Banco G&T Continental
Banco General
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Partnering for a Greener Future: Everyone Benefits from Sustainable Building
EDGE brings together architects, developers, green finance institutions, and policymakers to accelerate the global shift toward eco-friendly construction and sustainable building practices. By promoting collaboration across the value chain, EDGE enables the adoption of green architecture materials, net-zero building design, and environmentally friendly construction materials—creating long-term value for all stakeholders in the green building ecosystem.
Developers
Banks
Governments
EDGE Experts
Get started
To begin your bank’s journey towards offering sustainable finance, consider joining IFC’s Green Banking Academy. Send an email to express your interest. You may also reach out to the EDGE Team directly to request specific information about how to incorporate EDGE in your green building investment strategy.