Cambodia Investment Review
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced the first group of financial institutions selected for its Climate Bank Accelerator (CBA) Program, an initiative designed to fast-track sustainable finance and climate resilience in Cambodia’s banking sector.
The program supports the country’s Sustainable Finance Roadmap and the National Bank of Cambodia’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, both key to greening the financial industry.
Three Banks Selected for Pilot Program
Following an open call, three banks were chosen based on their sustainability commitments and institutional readiness:
- AMK Microfinance Institution PLC
- Foreign Trade Bank of Cambodia PLC
- Maybank (Cambodia) PLC
ADB’s Country Director for Cambodia, Jyotsana Varma, said the initiative would help accelerate the financial sector’s role in supporting low-carbon growth. She emphasized the importance of collaboration with the Association of Banks in Cambodia and the National Bank of Cambodia, noting that developing a green financial sector is a core part of ADB’s 2024–2028 Cambodia Country Partnership Strategy.
Building Capacity for Green Finance
The program will now move into its advisory phase. This includes helping participating banks develop innovative green financial products, improve climate risk assessment, and strengthen greenhouse gas emissions disclosure. Training modules will also be extended to all members of the Association of Banks in Cambodia between 2025 and 2026 to ensure broader sector-wide impact.
Bank executives welcomed the move, highlighting both strategic benefits and alignment with their own climate commitments. AMK CEO Kea Borann said the initiative would enable the institution to help clients adapt to climate challenges, while FTB CEO Dith Sochal pointed to the program as a milestone in the bank’s ambition to become Cambodia’s leading green bank. Maybank Cambodia CEO Rath Sophoan noted that green financing remains central to the bank’s strategy, with the CBA program providing a platform to scale climate-positive lending.
Driving Cambodia’s Sustainable Transition
ADB said the Climate Bank Accelerator will act as a catalyst for climate finance in Cambodia, ensuring local banks can mobilize capital for green investments and support the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The initiative comes as demand grows for financial products that align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. By embedding climate risk management into banking practices, ADB and its partners aim to unlock new investment flows into renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and climate-resilient infrastructure.
ADB, which has 69 member countries, has been working with Cambodia since 1966. It continues to support the country with financing and advisory services aimed at sustainable, inclusive, and resilient economic growth.
