"First Abu Dhabi" Reveals the plan to transition to net zero emissions

Abu Dhabi, April 22 / WAM / On Earth Day 2026, First Abu Dhabi Bank issued the 2026 Transformation Pathways Update Report, which highlighted the contribution of the bank’s sustainable financing and transformational financing activities to avoiding about 4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions during the year 2025.

The report reviewed the continued progress in implementing the sustainability agenda, and what has been achieved in the transition towards net zero emissions, which strengthens the bank’s position in pushing the global transition towards a low-carbon economy.

The bank continues to align its strategy with national climate action priorities by integrating sustainability into the core of its business model, risk management framework, and approach to customer interactions.

This plan is based on four main axes: These include customer engagement and sector pathways, climate risk management and portfolio guidance, operational emissions reduction, and sustainable finance mobilization.

The report reviews First Abu Dhabi Bank’s approach to measuring, managing and reducing climate and environmental impacts in its operations and financing portfolio. It also explains how the bank translates its commitments to achieving net zero emissions and achieving a positive environmental impact into practical, measurable actions.

The bank has reduced the emissions intensity of Scope 1 and 2 per employee by 35% since 2019, driven by energy efficiency initiatives, increased use of clean electricity, and the integration of clean energy certificates in key locations. A formal action plan has also been developed to reach net zero emissions to achieve operational emissions reduction goals by 2030.

The bank launched a dedicated framework for assessing transition maturity and a mechanism for escalating actions, which allows for more precise, risk-based interaction with high-emitting customers, and the number of customers covered by this framework is expected to double between 2024 and 2025.

The bank confirmed continued progress according to its targeted paths for the year 2030 in eight sectors with high emissions, supported by improved customer disclosures and taking early measures in the transformation process.

The Bank reset the baselines for the financed emissions pathways to 2023 instead of 2021, which enhances credibility and alignment with the current portfolio, and supports the emissions reduction pathway in the medium term.

First Abu Dhabi Bank raised 114.4 billion dirhams in sustainable and transformational financing during the year 2025, directed towards solutions to reduce climate change such as renewable energy projects, energy efficiency, green buildings, and sustainable transportation, in addition to climate change adaptation initiatives.

It showed significant progress towards First Abu Dhabi Bank’s goal of 500 billion dirhams for sustainable and transformational financing, as since 2022 it has facilitated the financing of sustainable and transformational projects worth 381 billion dirhams, equivalent to 76% of its goal for the year 2030.

The bank issued pioneering financial instruments classified under the “Transformation” category, which included the first global low-carbon energy bond, and the first blue bond issued by a financial institution in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to support transformation efforts in the energy sector and the development of water and sanitation infrastructure.

It also issued the first regional disclosure compatible with the financial disclosure framework related to nature, issued blue bonds in accordance with the principles of the International Capital Market Association, and expanded the scope of including nature risks in its assessments of environmental, social and corporate governance practices, and its sectoral policies, which enhances sustainability practices in the banking sector and supports achieving a positive future for nature.

The bank participated as a major and official banking partner in the 2025 World Conservation Congress (IUCN), contributing to advancing the dialogue related to financing projects in the fields of nature, biodiversity and water, and examining the interconnection between climate and nature, in cooperation with government agencies, investors and customers. It also contributed to efforts to restore coral reefs through partnerships with “Archive” and the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, by deploying 400 coral tiles and planting 800 coral pieces, which contributes to In supporting the recovery of marine ecosystems.

Sharjeel Bashir, Head of Sustainability at First Abu Dhabi Bank, said that updating the transformation paths for the year 2026 reflects the extent to which the transformation approach has been consolidated in various aspects of First Abu Dhabi Bank’s business, starting from its internal operations, through its relationships with customers, and all the way to capital allocation decisions, stressing the commitment to supporting a low-carbon and environmentally friendly future by systematically reducing emissions and developing organized interaction mechanisms with customers.

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