Underpinning environmental engagement
The Annual Meeting and Business Forum of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) which took place in May in Sarajevo focused on ways to connect economies for strong growth and impact, both in the Western Balkans and beyond.
UniCredit, as one of the major event partners, confirmed its commitment to the CEE region as an important growth engine. During the forum Andrea Diamanti, Head of CEE Corporate and Investment Banking and Private Banking, Ivan Vlaho, Head of CEE Retail, and Mauro Giorgio Marrano, Senior CEE Economist, delivered expertise at various panels including a macro-economic outlook for CEE - a likely outperformer in emerging markets, a review on corporates and SMEs confirming their growth potential, the growth potential of retail banking, as well as green, social and sustainability bonds.
On this occasion, UniCredit was also presented with EBRD’s “Most Active Confirming Bank in 2018 – Green Trade” award for supporting the highest number of transactions under Green TFP as a confirming bank. The impact achieved was equivalent to an annual energy savings of 10,235 MWh, which is comparable to charging 1,741 electric cars for one year.
Moreover, local UniCredit banks signed an important guarantee contract with the EBRD to support small businesses in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They also submitted a request to use a second tranche of an existing credit line from the competitiveness support programme for SMEs.