The Bank of Africa, in collaboration with ISCAE and the African Observatory for Sustainable Finance, has hosted the third annual Sustainable Finance Forum at ISCAE in Casablanca. This year’s edition, titled “Impact Finance in Africa,” brought together leading figures from the financial sector to explore the future of sustainable finance across the continent.
A major milestone of the event was the signing of a strategic partnership between the Pan-African Chair of Sustainability and Impact Finance, the African Observatory for Sustainable Finance, and ISCAE. This collaboration is set to foster joint research initiatives, produce publications that highlight best practices in sustainable finance, and organize gatherings that unite academics, industry experts, and institutional stakeholders under one roof.
The partnership also aims to strengthen the Pan-African Chair’s presence by expanding its network across both North and sub-Saharan Africa. A highlight of the forum was the unveiling of the Sustainable Performance Indicator, a pioneering tool designed to assess Bank of Africa’s non-financial programs against key sustainability and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) standards.
The introduction of this metric has helped reinforce the credibility of the bank’s flagship initiatives, including the Blue Space network of business incubators and its capacity-building programs tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises. These efforts represent a structured and forward-thinking model that could serve as a blueprint for other public, private, and academic players committed to advancing sustainability.
As a trailblazer in sustainable finance in Africa for more than two decades, Bank of Africa, under the leadership of Othman Benjelloun, continues to demonstrate its commitment to combining economic performance with social and environmental responsibility. The group remains dedicated to shaping the foundations of sustainable finance both within Morocco and throughout the African continent.
