Sustainable finance

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^{ESG | Risk management | Sustainable finance |}
^{Agreements and memberships | Materiality |

ESG metrics}

Evolving our trade ecosystem to function in a way that uses our natural resources wisely, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and makes our world more equitable requires significant investment. But it’s an investment worth making and one we're here to support.

It’s also a big opportunity. It’s one of the ways Canadian businesses can innovate to achieve longer-term business growth and become more competitive on the global stage.

Part of our past and future

Sustainable finance has been a key part of our business for many years. We were the first Canadian financial institution to issue a green bond in 2014 and the first export credit agency to commit to net zero emissions by 2050. Today, we’re focused on making net zero across our business lines a reality and supporting Canadian businesses to be a part of that journey. Our sustainable finance solutions enable businesses to continue to grow while transitioning to more sustainable business practices and materializing their ESG objectives.

Our approach and solutions

Our approach revolves around our customers. Sustainable objectives are big and complex, meaning there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We work closely with our customers to develop solutions that will work for them and that will drive real results when it comes to reducing carbon emissions and creating a stronger, more equitable economy. Our solutions will continue to evolve alongside our customers, best practices, and the needs of society and the environment.

Bonds are a key tool for financing sustainable activities and businesses. Our Sustainable Bond Framework sets out the criteria for what our bonds can support, and includes:

Green bonds to support initiatives related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, pollution and waste management, natural resources, clean transport and green buildings, among others.
Social bonds to support affordable infrastructure, access to health and nutrition, and businesses owned and/or led by equity seeking groups such as women, Indigenous, BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ people.
Sustainability bonds that will finance green and social projects.
Transition bonds that have the potential to significantly contribute to addressing climate change by providing loans related to activities that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Historically underrepresented groups face barriers accessing traditional or mainstream financial and knowledge solutions. We recognize the need to do more to support these businesses as they look to grow their companies internationally. Our Inclusive Trade Investments Program provides equity capital to Canadian exporting businesses owned or led by people who identify as women, Indigenous, Black or racialized, LGBTQ2+, and/or living with disabilities (diverse businesses).

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Our sustainable financing guarantee is a new financial solution developed as part of our work to enable net zero by 2050. It aims to help medium and large-sized Canadian businesses transition from carbon-intensive operations to those that can eliminate or significantly reduce emissions. It is a risk-sharing solution with several Canadian financial institutions that we hope to continue expanding in order to increase the capacity of the Canadian financial sector to provide sustainably-linked funding.

Transparency and reporting

It’s important that our stakeholders understand how we think about sustainable finance and how we track our progress. We are committed to accurately measuring and reporting on our initiatives in alignment with international best practices and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We provide this information in our integrated annual reports, as well as our annual green bond impact reports.

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Policies & reports

Explore our policies, reports and other reference materials related to sustainable finance at EDC.

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^{ESG | Risk management | Sustainable finance |} ^{Agreements and memberships | Materiality | ESG metrics}

^{ESG | Risk management | Sustainable finance |}
^{Agreements and memberships | Materiality |

ESG metrics}

Date modified: 2023-03-10

Part of our past and future

Our approach and solutions

Sustainable bonds

Cleantech

Inclusive trade

Sustainable Financing Guarantee

Transparency and reporting

Policies & reports