Best bank for ESG: Bank of Palestine
Bank of Palestine deployed measurable green and impact capital across the Palestinian economy, consistently applying ESG criteria to its financing decisions in 2025. During the past year, the bank embedded ESG considerations across its investment lifecycle, making environmental and social impact a prerequisite for capital allocation. All investments were subject to screening, due diligence and ongoing monitoring against sustainability criteria, ensuring financing supported clean energy, innovation, job creation and climate action.
The bank continued to channel funds into renewable energy infrastructure. Its investment in Qudra (Taqa Palestine) and support for the 7.5 MW Jamala solar plant translated into quantifiable decarbonisation, with 2,909,298 kWh of clean electricity generated and 1,938 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided in the project’s first year.
Capital mobilisation also extended to innovation-linked sustainability. As an anchor investor in Ibtikar Fund, the bank supported more than 40 Palestinian-founded startups operating across sectors including clean energy, AI, and social impact technologies. This connected sustainable finance with employment generation and technological development, reinforcing domestic economic capacity.
At client level, the bank expanded green lending through programmes such as Sunref, with more than $35.8 million disbursed to SMEs. This financing enabled businesses to adopt energy-efficient solutions while preserving and creating jobs, demonstrating how sustainable finance can stabilise livelihoods.
The introduction of $20 million in sustainability deposits further broadened participation. This linked customer savings directly to environmentally and socially aligned lending, while strengthening the domestic funding base for ESG activity.
