EIB Expands Sustainability Awareness Bond Framework to Promote Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

EIB Expands Sustainability Awareness Bond Framework to Promote Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank has extended its Sustainability Awareness Bond framework to include gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, aiming to fund global projects that advance women’s access to finance, entrepreneurship, and gender equality. This initiative highlights the EIB’s commitment to sustainable finance, promoting gender equality as a key driver of economic growth.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 6-Mar-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced a significant expansion of its Sustainability Awareness Bond (SAB) framework, incorporating two new social objectives: gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. This move, unveiled ahead of International Women’s Day, was shared at the EIB Group Forum, an event gathering key partners from national finance ministries and leaders from both public and private sectors. The forum’s theme, “Investing in a more sustainable and secure Europe,” emphasizes the importance of these new additions to the SAB initiative.

The expanded SAB framework will direct funds to projects globally that facilitate women’s access to finance, support female entrepreneurship, and promote gender equality. This alignment with gender-focused objectives underscores the EIB’s commitment to advancing social change and driving economic growth through inclusive investment strategies.

EIB President Nadia Calviño commented: “Supporting women entrepreneurs and advancing gender equality is not just an ethical imperative but a strategic move for economic growth. This extension of our Sustainability Awareness Bond highlights the potential of capital markets to fund impactful gender-related investments, bringing sustainable finance into play for a more equal future.”

Julie Becker, CEO of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, expressed support for the EIB’s decision to integrate gender equality into its SAB framework, noting the essential role women play in societal and economic progress. She further stressed the urgency of such efforts, particularly as gender equality programs face setbacks in various regions worldwide.

Jessica Espinoza, CEO of 2X Global, emphasized the critical role capital markets play in advancing gender equality. By adopting gender-lens investing standards, such as the 2X Criteria, Espinoza believes that scaling gender-smart investments is key to achieving real-world change. She pointed to the success of the 2X Challenge, which has raised over $34 billion for gender-focused investments since 2018, as proof of the transformative potential of aligning capital with clear, measurable gender goals.

The SAB, launched by the EIB in 2018, initially focused on addressing climate change mitigation and environmental challenges. With this recent expansion, the bond will now address a broader range of global social challenges, including gender equality. Proceeds from the SAB will support a variety of projects, including those aimed at empowering female entrepreneurs, supporting women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and providing essential services for women and girls, such as maternal vaccines in Denmark.

The EIB’s move aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5, which advocates for gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Achieving gender parity in employment and pay is not only a fundamental human right but also a powerful economic driver, with research showing it could increase global GDP per capita by nearly 20%.

The EIB’s robust eligibility criteria for gender-focused projects are designed to ensure that investments genuinely contribute to these goals. These criteria are in line with international standards such as the 2X Criteria, the EU Directive on gender balance (2022/2381), and the OECD-DAC Gender Equality Policy Marker. The EIB is committed to transparency and accountability, offering detailed reports on the allocation of funds and the results of these investments, with oversight from an independent auditor.

As part of its commitment to sustainable finance, the EIB’s expanded SAB initiative now aligns with both the EU Taxonomy and ICMA’s Sustainability Bond Guidelines, reinforcing the integration of gender equality into the broader sustainability agenda.

Background information:

EIB

The EIB Group is the financing institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. All of its new operations are aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement since 2021. It supports investment contributing toward EU policy goals, including sustainable growth, social and territorial cohesion, innovation and security. It finances its operations in global capital markets and has been consistently profitable in its operations since its inception.

The EIB Group signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 projects in 2024. These commitments are expected to mobilise around €350 billion in investment, supporting 400 000 companies and 5.8 million jobs.

The EIB launched the world’s first green bond in 2007. Thanks to its strategy of gradual alignment with the EU Taxonomy and the European Green Bond Standard initiated in 2018, the EIB has been increasing its issuance pace and passed the €100 billion mark of Climate Awareness Bond and Sustainability Awareness Bond issuance in August 2024. The EIB is the world’s largest issuer of green bonds as well as the largest issuer of green and sustainability bonds with assurance among multilateral development banks.

To enhance the positive impact of its activities on gender equality and empower women and girls, the EIB Group adopted a Strategy on Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment and a Gender Action Plan, with the aim of embedding gender equality and in particular women’s economic empowerment in the EIB’s business model. It covers its lending, blending and advisory work within and outside the European Union. The EIB Group is also committed to driving gender equality in the workplace.

Media Contacts:

Anne-Laure Gaffuri
a.gaffuri@eib.org
+352 4379 – 83689

Sabine Parisse
s.parisse@eib.org
+352 4379 – 83340

Press Office
press@eib.org
+352 43791

SOURCE: European Investment Bank