Development of sustainable financial instruments in Senegal

The project "Strengthening sustainable finance in Senegal" (02/25-01/28), mandated by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) aims to strengthen sustainable financing in the financial sector in Senegal. It advises and develops the skills of political decision-makers as well as financial sector actors. A main activity is supporting the development and implementation of the Senegalese green finance taxonomy. The project also includes advisory services to financial institutions to develop and apply innovative sustainable financing instruments. In this way, the project contributes to improving the conditions for a green and socially just financial market in Senegal. On a macro level, the project cooperates closely with the the Ministry of Finance and Budget (MFB), Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition (METE), Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEPC) and the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO). The downstream project structures also include the public development banks, primarily the National Development Bank (BNDE), the Agricultural Bank (LBA), a state-owned investment fund (FONSIS) as well as commercial banks and to a lesser extend microfinance institutions. The topics of cooperation include scaling sustainable financing through innovative financial instruments, sustainable business models and pipeline building, and risk management strategies. The project intervenes primarily at macro and meso level. It supports senior officials from the all relevant ministries and regulatory and supervisory entities who aim to enhance their policy-making and financial oversight skills regarding sustainable financing. Additionally, senior staff from financial institutions and private sector companies are also targeted. The project encompasses two primary outputs. Output 1 focuses on policy advice. It involves providing advice and capacity building to the Ministry of Finance and other stakeholders within the financial sector on developing a gender-sensitive national strategy and ensuring policy coherence for sustainable finance, including advice on gender mainstreaming. Moreover, it includes advising on the development and implementation of a green taxonomy. Output 2 addresses financial instruments and tools for sustainable financing. This involves consulting with financial sector stakeholders to develop innovative sustainable financing instruments, products, and models, such as green bonds. It also includes providing technical advice to financial sector stakeholders on creating risk assessment and de-risking strategies, as well as offering technical advice on developing ESG risk management tools to address climate change and environmental-specific portfolio risks, along with financial disclosure. Furthermore, it entails mapping planned sustainable large-scale public and private sector projects regarding financing capacity, including identifying potential financing sources, mechanisms, and instruments, and assessing their alignment with green taxonomy and responsible investors" requirements. The output also supports networking and matchmaking between project developers and investors for selected large-scale projects, and facilitates peer learning through international networks and initiatives focused on climate, environment, and sustainability finance. The tasks to be performed belong to Output 2 and focus on close collaboration and implementation with local public and private financial institutions aiming to increase the availability of sustainable financial instruments and tools in Senegal.