Equity Bank Uganda has strengthened its internal capacity to attract new clients and mobilize green finance opportunities following intensive training under the Uganda Green Enterprise Finance Accelerator (UGEFA).
The three-day Green Loan Product Development Training, facilitated by UGEFA’s Green Finance Experts, brought together 20 operational staff from across the bank’s key departments such as Product Development, Finance, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Sustainability, Public Sector and Social Investment, Credit and Front Office, Risk, Reporting and Data, Marketing, as well as Branch Operations.
The training was held at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala and concluded with a simple graduation ceremony where participants received certificates.
The program was designed to equip SME-focused teams with practical tools to design green loan products that balance commercial viability with measurable environmental impact. Participants were guided through critical components such as eligibility criteria, risk management, pricing models, and go-to-market strategy.
Uganda’s green SME sector continues to face significant financing gaps. Many enterprises remain underserved due to limited collateral, lack of credit history, and the longer payback periods often associated with green investments. These challenges have slowed the growth of environmentally sustainable businesses.
For financial institutions, the segment has traditionally presented hurdles, including high transaction costs, difficulty in assessing emerging green technologies, and perceived risk exposure. However, the growing demand for sustainable finance and the introduction of Uganda’s National Green Taxonomy present new opportunities for banks ready to innovate.
By developing tailored green loan products, banks can unlock new client segments, strengthen ESG compliance, and position themselves as leaders in a rapidly expanding sustainable finance market.
Catherine Psogmen, Director of Public Sector and Social Investment at Equity Bank Uganda, who was the Chief Guest at the graduation ceremony, emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships and regulatory alignment.
“As a bank, we appreciate the partnership we have with the European Union and adelphi GLOBAL under the UGEFA Project. We learned about scoping opportunities, which is critical. The regulatory environment and the terrain within which we operate, including compliance with areas such as the green taxonomy, climate risk regulations, and evolving expectations, vary. We need to demonstrate that we are a sustainable organization,” she said.
She reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to implementing the lessons from the training. “You have our commitment that we will indeed implement and grow the numbers when it comes to refinancing,” she added.
Virginia Ssemakula, Pillar Head of Energy, Environment and Climate Change at Equity Bank Uganda, noted that building internal expertise is essential to scaling sustainable finance solutions. She highlighted that strengthening staff capacity enables the bank to confidently structure green products that respond to market needs while aligning with national and global climate priorities.
The training concluded with a clear outcome, a practical starting point for developing a bank-ready green loan product and a stronger institutional foundation to mobilize green finance.
Through partnerships under UGEFA, Equity Bank Uganda is positioning itself not only as a financial intermediary but also as a catalyst for Uganda’s green enterprise growth and sustainable development journey.
