Making a Difference: Why Sustainable Finance Is Here to Stay

Overview

Markus Ecker, Head of Sustainable Finance at Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), shares insights on the critical role of sustainable finance in banking and business today. RBI’s comprehensive approach integrates environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments into its product offerings and client advisory to foster long-term sustainable growth.

What is Sustainable Finance at RBI?

Sustainable finance at RBI means aligning banking operations with environmental and social goals across all client segments—including private individuals, corporates, financial institutions, and sovereigns. RBI has achieved significant milestones such as:

• Conducting extensive ESG-related transactions
• Issuing numerous green bonds since 2018
• Developing carbon footprint tools for retail clients
• Rolling out ESG policies and sectoral strategies
• Creating an ESG scoring model for risk assessment
• Planning transition policies to reduce financed emissions by 2030

Sustainable Finance Products and Solutions

RBI offers a diverse range of sustainable finance services tailored to client needs:

• Corporate and Institutional Clients: Advisory services, structuring green, social, sustainable, and ESG KPI-linked bonds, loans, Schuldschein loans, and guarantees. RBI also helps clients improve their ESG ratings and performance.
• Retail Clients: Climate-conscious banking solutions including RaiCare—a financial management tool—and an integrated carbon footprint calculator to help clients understand and reduce their environmental impact.

The Role of Green and Social Bonds

Green, social, and sustainability bonds are pivotal in RBI’s portfolio:

• RBI pioneered green bond issuance in Austria and Central and Eastern Europe since 2018.
• In 2023, RBI expanded its sustainability bond framework enabling issuance of various sustainability-linked bonds.
• RBI supported local banks across the CEE region in launching their first green bonds, becoming the largest green bond issuer there by 2024.
• The bank acted as the ESG coordinator and bookrunner for the first-ever sustainability bond issued by Austria’s Lower Austria federal state in 2024. ## RBI’s Strengths in Sustainable Finance

Key strengths include:

• A diverse Sustainable Finance team with 14 cultural backgrounds and 17 languages that leverage interdisciplinary expertise.
• The ESG Ambassador Network, established in 2019, to promote sustainability knowledge and consistent ESG practices across RBI’s network banks in the CEE region.
• Focus on long-term, positive sustainable development to drive client and bank resilience.

Future Outlook for Sustainable Finance

Sustainable finance is expected to remain a core priority, driven by:

• The urgency for significant investments in transitioning to low-carbon operations, despite challenges in immediate financial returns.
• Increasing importance of ESG risks and borrowers’ sustainability performance.
• Emphasis on transition finance to support high-emission sectors in decarbonization.
• Influential policy initiatives like Europe’s Clean Industrial Deal accelerating climate and social impact investments.

Conclusion

RBI exemplifies how sustainable finance can align business growth with environmental and social responsibility. By continuously innovating products and advisory services, and fostering collaboration across markets, sustainable finance will continue to be a cornerstone for banking and client success.

For further ESG insights and to advance your sustainability goals, explore Raiffeisen Research’s latest ESG scorecard and whitepapers.

Source: Sustainability Magazine, October 31, 2025

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