Access Bank PLC (Access Bank), a leading African bank, has received the IFC EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) Green Building Certification for its banking headquarters, called Access Tower, located in Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The EDGE Green Building certification program, supported by the Japan Government in Nigeria and globally funded by the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), with initial funding from Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, SECO, recognises Access Bank’s commitment to sustainable building practices and its efforts to reduce energy consumption, water usage, and embodied carbon in building materials.
Access Bank’s Head Office has achieved a 20per cent
reduction in energy use, a 33per cent reduction in water use, and a 99 per cent
reduction in embodied carbon in materials. The building features sustainability
measures such as insulated roof, high-performance glass, fresh air
pre-conditioning system, smart meters for energy, water-efficient faucets in
bathrooms and kitchen, efficient water closets and low embodied carbon
materials reflecting Access Bank’s commitment to environmental responsibility. The
building implemented retrofits to meet the EDGE water standard by installing
flow regulators in all their water closets, faucets and showers. These
reductions in energy, water, and embodied carbon are expected to result in
significant cost savings and a reduced environmental footprint for the Head
Office.
Commenting on this feat, Gregory Jobome, Executive
Director, Risk Management at Access Bank, said:
“At Access Bank, we have always understood that our
purpose goes far beyond banking. We are architects of change, custodians of the
future, and now, we stand proudly at the intersection of finance and
environmental leadership. This building and this certification embody our
vision to set a new standard for building, operating, and growing responsibly.
“Our collaboration with the EEN team was
transformational, and together, we have shown that environmental performance
and business performance are not rivals, but partners. We believe that in that
partnership lies the future of banking, the future of corporate Africa, and
ultimately, the future of our planet.”
The EDGE certification is a globally recognised
standard for green buildings, designed to make buildings more resource
efficient. The certification process involves a rigorous assessment of a
building’s design and construction, including independent third-party audits,
ensuring that it meets the highest standards of sustainability.
IFC's EDGE program aims to promote green building
practices globally by providing a standardised approach to designing and
certifying resource-efficient buildings. The program has been utilised in
nearly 200 countries, with over 100 million square metres in certified floor
space, enabling developers worldwide to create buildings that reduce energy
use, water consumption, and embodied carbon.
Globally, IFC collaborates with financiers,
governments, developers, and building owners to accelerate green building
development in emerging markets. In Nigeria, cumulatively, over 800,000 square
meters of offices, homes, hospitals, retail stores, student accommodation, hotels,
and mixed-use projects are EDGE-certified.
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| L-R: Alexandra Celestin, Regional Industry Manager, IFC Financial Institutions Group, Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa; Njideka Esomeju, Head, Retail Banking, Access Bank PLC; Dr. Gregory Jobome, Executive Director, Risk Management, Access Bank PLC; Dahlia Khalifa, IFC Regional Director, Central Africa and Anglophone West African, and Amaechi Okobi, Chief Communication Officer Access Holdings PLC, after presentation of IFC EDGE Certification of Access Tower to Access Bank at its Headquarters in Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos…recently. |
About IFC
IFC — a member of the World Bank— is the largest
global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging
markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and
influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In
fiscal year 2024, IFC committed a record $56 billion to private companies and
financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging private sector
solutions, and mobilising private capital to create a world free of poverty on
a livable planet. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
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About EDGE
An innovation of IFC, EDGE helps property
developers to build and brand green in a fast, easy and affordable way. EDGE is
supported by free software that offers up solutions to reduce energy, water,
and the energy embodied in building materials by at least 20 percent. EDGE
certification is recognised by the major green finance standards and
streamlines green debt reporting requirements. The simplicity and low cost of
EDGE, plus its focus on quantifying emission reductions makes it invaluable to
map and track a path to zero carbon. The program has been generously supported
by the following donors: The United Kingdom, Austria, Canada, Denmark, ESMAP,
EU, Finland, GEF, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. For more
information, visit www.edgebuildings.com.
About Access Bank
Access Bank, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Access Holdings Plc, is a leading full-service commercial bank
operating through a network of more than 700 branches and service outlets spanning
3 continents, 24 countries and over 60 million customers. The Bank employs over
28,000 people in its operations in Africa and Europe, with representative
offices in China, Lebanon, India, and the UAE.
Access Bank’s parent company,
Access Holdings Plc, has been listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange since 1998.
The Bank is a diversified financial institution which combines a strong retail
customer franchise and digital platform with deep corporate banking expertise,
proven risk management and capital management capabilities. The Bank services
its various markets through three key business segments: Corporate and
Investment Banking, Commercial Banking, and Retail Banking. The Bank has
enjoyed what is arguably Africa’s most successful banking growth trajectory in
the last 20 years, becoming one of the continent’s largest retail banks.
As part of its continued growth
strategy, Access Bank is focused on mainstreaming sustainable business
practices into its operations. The Bank strives to deliver sustainable economic
growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible, and socially relevant,
helping customers to access more and achieve their dreams.
The Bank is
dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through its
profound understanding of customer needs and its unwavering commitment to
supporting business growth. With over 170,000 SMEs supported to date, Access
Bank embodies its mantra, ‘We Love SMEs’, by continuously enhancing services
and fostering business development.
For IFC
Grace Ngatsongo
E-mail: [email protected]
For Access Bank
Olakunle Aderinokun
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