The EIB Board of Directors adopts the second phase of its innovative Climate Bank Roadmap, focusing on competitiveness, security and lower energy prices for businesses and households. The plan includes doubling of climate change adaptation investments, as well as radically simplified procedures.
Since the launch of the Climate Bank Roadmap in 2020, the EIB Group has supported over 560 billion euro in green investments – around 90% of which is in the European Union (EU) – and is on track to meet its headline target of supporting at least 1 trillion euro in green investments this decade. With the second phase of the roadmap, the EIB Group reaffirms its commitment to allocate more than half of its annual financing to climate action and environmental sustainability.
The decision reinforces the EIB Group’s role as a climate bank and reaffirms its commitment to maintaining its leadership as an anchor financier of the green industrial revolution.
Building on the resounding success of the roadmap since its launch in 2020, the second phase sets out the EIB Group’s priorities until the end of this decade, while radically simplifying its procedures to accelerate green investments.
The EIB Board of Directors adopted the second phase of the roadmap together with the Energy Sector Guidance, strengthening the position of the Climate Bank Group. Phase two is based on three main levers:
- a stronger focus on competitiveness, security and lower energy prices for companies and families, by ensuring affordable and locally produced clean energy for businesses and households, promoting innovative solutions and strengthening Europe’s technological leadership.
- Doubling adaptation funding to 30 billion euro between 2026 and 2030: The decision adopted by the Council this week in Cyprus – the country with the highest water deficit in Europe – underlines the importance of adaptation for collective security and prosperity, while also highlighting its clear economic benefits.
- Radical simplification: Removing gold-plating by relying on self-assessment, existing rules and reports, benchmarks, regulatory standards and rules on counterparties, and by making extensive use of effective green eligibility assessment tools.
“Building on the resounding success of our Climate Bank Roadmap, we are redoubled our efforts to achieve the green transition, because it is right for our future and it makes sense for our economies,” said EIB Group President Nadia Calviño.
“With an energy revolution underway, we are staying on course for the competitiveness and security of today and the planet of tomorrow.”
Looking ahead, the EIB Group will step up its efforts to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness by supporting clean technologies, strengthening supply chains, helping businesses reduce energy costs, and improving energy security with specialised products such as tailored financing for power purchase agreements. The EIB Group has planned a record 11 billion euro in new financing for energy networks this year alone, already mobilising 40% of Europe’s total investment in the sector in 2024, with the ambition to increase the figure even further this year.
A new 17 billion euro initiative will help 350,000 European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) invest in energy savings, while counter-guarantees for wind power and grid component producers will ensure sustainable supply. The TechEU programme, Europe’s largest innovation financing initiative, aims to mobilise 250 billion euro by 2027, with support for clean technology innovators among its key priorities.
To ensure a fair green transition, the EIB is also supporting low-income households through affordable renovation loans and leasing of clean technology assets such as vehicles and heat pumps, in partnership with local banks. A new Gender Climate Investment and Advisory Package will scale up the delivery of low-carbon and climate adaptation solutions for women, girls and diverse population groups around the world.
Doubling adaptation financing to 30 billion euro
Investing in adaptation is both essential and economically sound: extreme weather events in Europe this summer alone caused at least 43 billion euro in short-term economic losses, while every euro spent on prevention and adaptation is estimated to save between 5 to 7 euro in future damage and reconstruction costs.
The EIB Group will double its financing for climate change adaptation to 30 billion euro for the period 2026-2030, compared to the previous five years. This increased support will focus on agriculture, water cycle management, companies, cities, regions and vulnerable communities, in close collaboration with the European Commission and national, regional and private sector partners. To help clients get projects off the ground, the EIB Group will significantly increase technical assistance, including for the world’s most vulnerable populations, such as small island developing states, least developed countries, low-income communities, indigenous peoples, women, migrants, youth and older people.
Radical simplification
The EIB Group is streamlining its processes to accelerate access to green finance and reduce administrative burdens, in particular for SMEs. By leveraging EU reporting standards, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and expanding the use of digital tools such as Green Checker, the EIB Group is accelerating and simplifying access to finance and reducing red tape for its clients.
This approach reinforces the EIB Group’s support for EU initiatives such as the Competitiveness Compass and the Omnibus Simplification Package. Under the second phase of the roadmap, the EIB Group is simplifying its requirements for companies, in particular for those accessing its products through partner banks, and aligning reporting requirements with EU sustainability standards, such as the CSRD, to further reduce clients’ reporting obligations.
