IFC Awards EDGE Green Building Certification to Access Bank Nigeria
Lagos, Nigeria – March 9, 2025: Access
Bank PLC (Access Bank), a leading African bank, has received the IFC EDGE (Excellence
in Design for Greater Efficiencies) Green Building Certification for its
banking headquarters, called Access Tower, located in Oniru, Victoria Island,
Lagos.
The
EDGE Green Building certification program, supported by the Japan Government in
Nigeria and globally funded by the UK Government’s Department for Energy
Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), with initial funding from Switzerland's State
Secretariat for Economic Affairs, SECO, recognises Access Bank’s commitment to
sustainable building practices and its efforts to reduce energy consumption,
water usage, and embodied carbon in building materials.
Access
Bank’s Head Office has achieved a 20per cent reduction in energy use, a 33per
cent reduction in water use, and a 99 per cent reduction in embodied carbon in
materials. The building features sustainability measures such as insulated
roof, high-performance glass, fresh air pre-conditioning system, smart meters
for energy, water-efficient faucets in bathrooms and kitchen, efficient water
closets and low embodied carbon materials reflecting Access Bank’s commitment
to environmental responsibility. The building implemented retrofits to meet the
EDGE water standard by installing flow regulators in all their water closets,
faucets and showers. These reductions in energy, water, and embodied carbon are
expected to result in significant cost savings and a reduced environmental
footprint for the Head Office.
Commenting
on this feat, Gregory Jobome, Executive Director, Risk Management at Access
Bank, said:
“At
Access Bank, we have always understood that our purpose goes far beyond
banking. We are architects of change, custodians of the future, and now, we
stand proudly at the intersection of finance and environmental leadership. This
building and this certification embody our vision to set a new standard for
building, operating, and growing responsibly.
“Our
collaboration with the EEN team was transformational, and together, we have
shown that environmental performance and business performance are not rivals,
but partners. We believe that in that partnership lies the future of banking,
the future of corporate Africa, and ultimately, the future of our planet.”
The EDGE
certification is a globally recognised standard for green buildings, designed
to make buildings more resource efficient. The certification process involves a
rigorous assessment of a building’s design and construction, including
independent third-party audits, ensuring that it meets the highest standards of
sustainability.
IFC's
EDGE program aims to promote green building practices globally by providing a
standardised approach to designing and certifying resource-efficient buildings.
The program has been utilised in nearly 200 countries, with over 100 million
square metres in certified floor space, enabling developers worldwide to create
buildings that reduce energy use, water consumption, and embodied carbon.
Globally,
IFC collaborates with financiers, governments, developers, and building owners
to accelerate green building development in emerging markets. In Nigeria, cumulatively,
over 800,000 square meters of offices, homes, hospitals, retail stores, student
accommodation, hotels, and mixed-use projects are EDGE-certified.
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About IFC
IFC
— a member of the World Bank— is the largest global development institution
focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100
countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and
opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2024, IFC committed a
record $56 billion to private companies and financial institutions in
developing countries, leveraging private sector solutions, and mobilising
private capital to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more
information, visit www.ifc.org.
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About EDGE
An
innovation of IFC, EDGE helps property developers to build and brand green in a
fast, easy and affordable way. EDGE is supported by free software that offers
up solutions to reduce energy, water, and the energy embodied in building
materials by at least 20 percent. EDGE certification is recognised by the major
green finance standards and streamlines green debt reporting requirements. The
simplicity and low cost of EDGE, plus its focus on quantifying emission
reductions makes it invaluable to map and track a path to zero carbon. The
program has been generously supported by the following donors: The United
Kingdom, Austria, Canada, Denmark, ESMAP, EU, Finland, GEF, Hungary, Japan, the
Netherlands, and Switzerland. For more information, visit www.edgebuildings.com.
About
Access Bank
Access Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Access Holdings
Plc, is a leading full-service commercial bank operating through a network of
more than 700 branches and service outlets spanning 3 continents, 24 countries
and over 60 million customers. The Bank employs over 28,000 people in its
operations in Africa and Europe, with representative offices in China, Lebanon,
India, and the UAE.
Access Bank’s parent company, Access Holdings Plc, has been
listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange since 1998. The Bank is a diversified
financial institution which combines a strong retail customer franchise and
digital platform with deep corporate banking expertise, proven risk management
and capital management capabilities. The Bank services its various markets
through three key business segments: Corporate and Investment Banking,
Commercial Banking, and Retail Banking. The Bank has enjoyed what is
arguably Africa’s most successful banking growth trajectory in the last 20
years, becoming one of the continent’s largest retail banks.
As part of its continued growth strategy, Access Bank is
focused on mainstreaming sustainable business practices into its operations.
The Bank strives to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable,
environmentally responsible, and socially relevant, helping customers to access
more and achieve their dreams.
The Bank is dedicated to empowering small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through its profound understanding of
customer needs and its unwavering commitment to supporting business growth.
With over 170,000 SMEs supported to date, Access Bank embodies its mantra, ‘We
Love SMEs’, by continuously enhancing services and fostering business
development.
For IFC
Grace
Ngatsongo
E-mail: gngatsongo@ifc.org
For
Access Bank
Olakunle
Aderinokun
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