Access Bank receives IFC EDGE certification
Access Bank Ghana has received an International Finance Corporation’s Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies certification for its banking headquarters complex in Osu-Accra.
The IFC EDGE Green Building certification is a programme to recognise Access Bank’s commitment to sustainable building practices and its effort to reduce energy consumption, water usage and embodied carbon in building materials.
The EDGE Green Building certification programme was supported by the United Kingdom (UK) Government's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) with initial funding from Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Access Bank, through the recognition, is expected to achieve a 29 per cent reduction in energy use, a 25 per cent reduction in water use, and a 99 per cent reduction in embodied carbon in materials.
Sustainable operation
At the certification handover ceremony, the Managing Director of Access Bank Ghana PLC, Olumide Olatunji, indicated that sustainability was at the core of the bank’s operations.
He said achieving IFC's EDGE certification for its head office building was a testament to their unwavering commitment to sustainable banking.
Mr Olatunji emphasised that the milestone reflected the bank’s deliberate efforts to integrate resource efficiency, environmental responsibility and innovation into their operations.
“As we continue to champion green finance and eco-friendly practices, this certification reinforces our pledge to build a future where business communities, growth and sustainability go hand in hand, creating lasting impact for our customers, communities and the planet,” he said.
Mr Olatunji explained that the sustainability strategy of the bank was built on “minimising environmental impact and optimising resources to support economic, social and environmental goals, Corporate Social Investment (CSI) to support community-focused initiatives in education, environment, health and economic empowerment, and Sustainable Development Finance”.
Commendation, commitment
In her address, the IFC Regional Director for Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa, Dr Dahlia Khalifa, commended Access Bank's commitment to sustainability and resource efficiency, indicating that “it sets a strong example for other financial institutions".
She said the certification underscored the importance of integrating green building practices to create a positive impact on the environment and society.
Dr Khalifa stated that since 2014, the IFC had certified more than $58 billion worth of green assets worldwide, including IFC’s own $12 billion investment in sustainable buildings.
She said in Africa, EDGE-certified investment had surpassed the $1.6 billion mark, reinforcing the continent’s growing leadership in green construction.
The IFC Regional Director added that the EDGE-certified buildings had been responsible for reducing 2.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year, which was equivalent to taking over a quarter of a million cars off the roads.
Background
The EDGE certification is a globally recognised standard for green buildings, designed to make buildings more resource-efficient.
The certification process involved a rigorous assessment of a building's design and construction, including independent third-party audits, ensuring that it met the highest standards of sustainability.
IFC's EDGE programme is to promote green building practices globally by providing a standardised approach to designing and certifying resource-efficient buildings.
The programme has been utilised in nearly 200 countries, with over 100 million square metres in certified floorspace, enabling developers worldwide to create buildings that reduce energy use, water consumption and embodied carbon.
In Ghana, cumulatively, over 800,000 square metres of offices, homes, hospitals, retail stores, warehouses, resorts, and light industry are EDGE-certified.
