KAMPALA, November 10, 2025 — Modern finance has evolved beyond traditional profit-driven models. Today, it must also serve as a catalyst for sustainable development, climate resilience, and inclusive growth. However, several challenges hinder financial institutions in providing Sustainable Finance. They include inadequate understanding of Environmental, Social and Governance [ESG] factors, inadequate training and capacity building, short-term financial mindsets, limited awareness of policy and regulatory changes, insufficient internal commitment, among others.
These challenges lead to under-financing of green projects, bias towards traditional business models, regulatory and reputation risk of non-compliance, among others.
aBi Finance and the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services [UIBFS] have developed a Sustainable Finance curriculum for our partners. It fills the knowledge gaps and equips financial institutions, practitioners, and stakeholders with the knowledge, tools, and strategies necessary to align financial decision-making with long-term sustainability goals.
This curriculum is a strategic blueprint for action. It reflects a deep understanding of the link between financial systems and the broader sustainability agenda, benchmarking on global mandates such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement.
These challenges lead to under-financing of green projects, bias towards traditional business models, regulatory and reputation risk of non-compliance, among others.
aBi Finance and the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services (UIBFS) have developed a Sustainable Finance curriculum for our partners.
It fills the knowledge gaps and equips financial institutions, practitioners, and stakeholders with the knowledge, tools, and strategies necessary to align financial decision-making with long-term sustainability goals. This curriculum is a strategic blueprint for action. It reflects a deep understanding of the link between financial systems and the broader sustainability agenda, benchmarking on global mandates such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement.
At the national level, the curriculum complements the Green Growth policies such as Uganda’s Vision 2040, National Climate Finance Strategy, National Green Taxonomy, National Green Growth Strategy, Uganda’s Nationally Determined Contributions, as well as the ESG framework for regulated financial institutions by Uganda Bankers’ Association and Bank of Uganda.
The curriculum empowers financial service providers to become agents of change by mobilising capital towards projects that protect the natural systems, uplift communities, and foster economic resilience.
It is aimed at financial, development and government institutions, NGOs, the private sector, and individual consultants implementing the sustainability agenda. The curriculum recognises the transformative power of financial institutions in advancing Sustainable Finance through their different operations such as credit, business, risk management, audit, etc.
It also explores the importance of digital innovations in ensuring greater transparency, efficiency, and impact, while also addressing critical issues such as greenwashing and ethical financing.
As the world navigates the complexities of climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequality, the need for Sustainable Finance has never been more urgent. This curriculum challenges learners and readers to think critically, act ethically, and lead courageously. It is a small but important step towards building a financial sector that is profitable, principled, and purposeful. We commend our shareholders – the Royal Danish Embassy in Uganda, Impact Fund Denmark (former IFU), and the European Union — for their visionary leadership in championing and funding this initiative.
We also thank UIBFS, our partners and technical experts, for their commitment to excellence in financial education and capacity building in Uganda.
Let us embrace this curriculum as a tool for transformation to empower current and future generations of finance professionals to drive sustainable development across Uganda and beyond.
The writer is the Chief Executive Officer, aBi Finance Limited
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