RBI's ESG Vision: Sustainable Finance for Future Growth

The global financial landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, with sustainable development emerging as an essential driver for long-term growth across all client segments. In this evolving environment, Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has strategically positioned itself to leverage its extensive experience, delivering comprehensive sustainable finance solutions and expert advisory services designed to help clients achieve their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives. This commitment is evidenced by a broad spectrum of services, ranging from facilitating ESG-related transactions, such as the issuance of green bonds, to developing sophisticated ESG scoring models for risk assessment. Furthermore, RBI is engaged in calculating the carbon footprint of individuals across multiple countries, rolling out robust ESG policies, and crafting forward-thinking sectoral strategies.

Markus Ecker, Head of Sustainable Finance at RBI, underscores the bank's unwavering dedication: “For RBI, sustainable finance is a strategic priority for all client segments, including private individuals, small and large corporates, financial institutions and sovereigns.” He further elaborates on the core principle driving this focus, stating, “It’s all about aligning our business with environmental and social commitments while helping our clients make their transitions.” In line with this strategic direction, RBI is actively implementing its recently developed transition policy, which aims to progressively reduce financed emissions, targeting significant milestones by 2030.

The Indispensable Role of Sustainable Finance

At the heart of RBI’s sustainable finance philosophy is a profound understanding that financial prosperity and climate action are not mutually exclusive but rather synergistic. The bank’s primary objective for its sustainable finance solutions is to seamlessly integrate financial health with crucial climate initiatives, thereby empowering its customers to build a more resilient and sustainable future. This holistic approach recognizes that sustainable practices are integral to long-term economic stability and societal well-being.

Tailored Offerings for Diverse Clientele

For its corporate and institutional clients, RBI offers specialized advisory services that meticulously identify the most appropriate sustainable financing instruments. Beyond mere identification, the bank provides comprehensive support to enhance clients' ESG performance and ratings. The result is a diverse portfolio of financial products, including green, social, and sustainable bonds, as well as ESG Key Performance Indicator (KPI)-linked loans and “Schuldschein” loans, all designed to facilitate their transition to more sustainable operations.

In addressing the needs of its retail clients, RBI's climate and environmental business strategy is meticulously crafted to deliver solutions that simultaneously support financial well-being and promote a more sustainable lifestyle. The bank acknowledges the growing desire among individuals to align their personal finances with their environmental values and offers practical tools to achieve this.

Innovations for Retail Banking

RaiCare stands out as a prime example of RBI's innovative approach to retail sustainable finance. This initiative assists customers in managing their finances more effectively by meticulously tracking income and expenditure, helping them prepare for unforeseen expenses, and predicting future financial trends. Monthly reports keep clients informed and on track with their financial goals. Furthermore, in a forward-thinking move, RBI has integrated a carbon footprint tool directly into its clients’ daily banking activities. This intuitive feature provides a clear and accessible overview of their individual CO₂ emissions, empowering them to make more environmentally conscious choices in their daily lives.

RBI's Legacy as a Sustainable Finance Innovator

A significant aspect of RBI's leadership in sustainable finance stems from its pioneering role in leveraging green and social bonds, directly aligning sustainability with tangible business benefits. Markus Ecker proudly states, “We are proud to be pioneers in green bond issuance for both institutional and private investors in Austria.” This pioneering journey commenced with RBI’s green bond issuance program in 2018, specifically designed to promote sustainable lending practices across Austria. Building upon this foundation, the bank further expanded its commitment in 2023 by establishing a comprehensive sustainability bond framework, enabling it to issue a broader range of green, social, and sustainability bonds.

The ESG Data Solution

RBI's commitment to innovation is further exemplified by its latest offering from Raiffeisen Research: the ESG Data Solution. This sophisticated platform aims to transform the inherent complexity of ESG data into clear, actionable insights, providing clients with the crucial information they need to make confident, sustainable decisions. What began as an ambitious project to address the pervasive challenge of missing and inconsistent data has evolved into an exceptionally comprehensive ESG database. This robust platform now boasts an impressive 16 million data points, covers 13,000 companies, includes more than 35,000 bonds, and spans over 180 countries. Powered by AWS, this solution serves as a vital backbone for in-depth ESG analysis across diverse countries, sectors, and individual securities, encompassing both equities and bonds. Its flexible architecture ensures it can be readily adapted to meet the specific requirements of any client type, offering unparalleled utility in the sustainable finance sphere.

Expanding Sustainable Markets in CEE

Extending its influence beyond national borders, RBI has also played a pivotal role in the development of sustainable bond markets across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The bank has actively supported local banks in countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, and Slovakia in successfully launching their inaugural green and/or sustainability bonds, thereby fostering a regional ecosystem for sustainable investment. Furthermore, RBI provides invaluable expertise in mapping out green, social, and sustainability bond issuances for its clients. A notable example is its involvement in the inaugural sustainability bond of the federal state of Lower Austria in 2024, where RBI served as both ESG coordinator and bookrunner for this groundbreaking issuance, the first of its kind by any federal state in the country. In 2025, RBI further solidified its leadership by acting as the ESG Structuring Agent for the Czech Republic’s pioneering Social Finance Framework – an unprecedented initiative among European sovereigns – providing crucial support to the sovereign in preparing for potential social bond issuances.

Cultivating ESG Expertise and Recognition

A cornerstone of RBI’s sustainable finance success is the profound diversity and extensive experience of its dedicated team. This team represents 14 distinct cultural backgrounds and speaks 17 languages, embodying a collective wealth of knowledge across a multitude of topics. This rich blend of perspectives enhances the bank's ability to navigate the complex global landscape of sustainable finance. To further cultivate and disseminate sustainability expertise within its network banks across the CEE region, RBI launched the innovative ESG Ambassador Network in 2019. This initiative ensures that sustainability principles and practices are deeply embedded throughout the organization. The bank's ongoing commitment to sustainable finance has garnered significant recognition, culminating in prestigious accolades such as the five Sustainable Finance Awards from Global Finance in 2025.

Navigating the Future of Sustainable Finance

While the enduring presence of sustainable finance is undeniable and beneficial for all stakeholders, a significant challenge lies in the substantial investment required for the transition. Markus Ecker candidly explains, “Even then, this does not guarantee higher income or lower costs, which are usually essential for a positive business case.” This highlights the complexity of transitioning to sustainable models, often requiring long-term vision over immediate financial gains. Nevertheless, the motivation for this transition remains robust. As ESG risks and the overall sustainability performance of borrowers and issuers gain increasing importance, transition finance emerges as a critical factor. This is particularly vital for high-emitting sectors that require targeted support in their decarbonization efforts. Concurrently, initiatives such as Europe’s Clean Industrial Deal, alongside similar global endeavors, are expected to significantly accelerate this fundamental shift. “This calls for capital that drives climate action and social impact,” Ecker concludes, emphasizing the urgent need for strategic investment to foster a truly sustainable global economy.

You want to explore how Raiffeisen Research‘s ESG data platform can empower your green transformation? Find out more here.