Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in the country should factor sustainable environment into their loan decisions, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has said.
He spoke, in Abuja, at a tree plantng campaign to mark the 2021 World Environment Day.
According to him,sustainable environment has become a major factor in deciding bank facilities globally and Nigerian banks, cannot ignore it.
His words, “Today’s event of World Environment Day is themed Ecosystem Restoration want to seize this opportunity to join all well-meaning human beings all over the world to commemorate a day like this.
“A day like this reminds us to ensure that our ecosystem remains green and we need to make sure we remove everything that is creating pollution in our environment and I am sure we all know about the need globally to go green which means that we must keep our ecosystem alive so that everything remains green.
“On this basis even in the banking industry we have made sure that lending practices must take into consideration, our environment to be sure that sustainable banking principles are taken into account when banks are lending money.
“Globally, today, some of the international financial institutions and development finance institutions are beginning to say that as a bank, you want to borrow money from a bank, they will tell you that as long as they find anything that pollutes the environment, that does not make the environment clean and green, they will not condone that credit activity and we must join not only as bankers, we must join as Nigerians and members of the global community to ensure that we join the entire community to ensure that our environment remains green.
“It keeps the oxygen flowing well in our lives and we can all live well and avoid pollutants that destroy our lives and environment”
In her remarks, the Special Adviser to the governor on Sustainable Banking, Dr. Aisha Madmood, urged Nigerians to work for a sustainable environment.