Johanna Nyman, Head of Inclusive Green Finance, AFI

At the recent IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington D.C., AFI brought together central banks, financial regulators, and strategic partners for a candid dialogue around the state of Inclusive Green Finance.  

My main takeaway? Green is here to stay – no matter what. 

Because participants didn’t just recommit to Inclusive Green Finance. Rather, they revealed how it has become deeply embedded into national policies, regulatory frameworks, and financial sector strategies. And how financial regulators see climate and nature also linked to their mandates. 

All across the AFI network, we see concrete examples: 

• Nepal and Papua New Guinea have developed green taxonomies and national sustainable finance roadmaps. 

• Ecuador has rolled out Environmental and Social Risk Management Guidelines for the cooperative sector. 

• Multiple members are tailoring climate risk frameworks for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). 

• Almost half of AFI members have run IGF capacity building for the banking sector, and broader IGF education initiatives. 

• Egypt and Bangladesh are expanding access to green credit and financial services for vulnerable populations. 

• The Central Bank of Seychelles is integrating climate risk into regulatory frameworks, and encouraging the development of innovative ‘blue finance’ mechanisms. 

Central banks and financial regulators now see IGF as vital for maintaining financial stability, because of its role in building resilience to climate-related risks, and in unlocking opportunities for inclusive and sustainable development. They also view IGF as critical to ensuring that MSMEs, women, rural populations, and underserved communities can participate fully in the transition to a sustainable economy. 

Bad news grabs the headlines. But in Washington D.C., the strong foundations, clear commitment, and sense of shared purpose around Inclusive Green Finance was palpable. A more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable world is taking shape, and that is worth celebrating.