Partners and project beneficiaries from around the world will join experts and senior representatives from the European Investment Bank this year at the European Development Days organised by the European Commission on June 14, 15 and 16, to discuss how to support the green deal and ensure an inclusive, green recovery around the world. The EIB will host a series of debates to explore solutions aimed at achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and addressing challenges posed by COVID-19.

For more than 50 years, the EIB has been the European Union’s international development bank. Working closely with the public and private sectors, as well as with many financial partners, notably through Team Europe, the Bank provided more than €10 billion in 2020 to finance projects outside the European Union that will create jobs and opportunities, support a cleaner planet and a better quality of life. 71% of our financing in sub-Saharan Africa supported least developed countries or fragile states.

Ahead of the event, EIB President Werner Hoyer, said: “From 2016 to 2020, more than a third of our lending in developing countries was for climate action and we intend to increase this support to reduce poverty and inequality around the world. Climate change is causing an unprecedented loss of biodiversity and is threatening our ecosystems and our lives. Nobody will escape the effects of a deteriorating environment, unless we mobilise globally and promote new green technology. This is why we are eager to combine our expertise in development and innovation with our climate action goals. As part of Team Europe, we are stepping up our lending and advisory services for innovative solutions in climate adaptation and mitigation, as well as in biodiversity, natural capital and ecosystem restoration”.

At the European Development Days, the EIB will release its new report “Global Solutions, International Partnerships: The European Investment Bank Development Report 2021”, which details our €5 billion lending in Africa last year and presents a series of expert articles highlighting solutions to today’s development challenges. The report also explains how our development and partnership work builds prosperity around the world in places that are a priority to the European Union.

Alongside this report, we are publishing another new document, “A Partnership with Africa,” which goes deeper into the strategic and policy ideas at play in contemporary development, including our enthusiastic participation in the European Commission’s Team Europe initiative, as the only multilateral bank owned entirely and exclusively by the EU member states. “A Partnership with Africa” outlines how the EIB delivers on EU policies and our future plans for development and partnership across Africa.

The EIB will also announce a new financing for COVID-19 related emergency healthcare expenditure, targeting both medical care and efforts to limit the spread of the virus in Barbados. The EIB loan will help strengthen Barbados’ public health system including treatment and lab capacity, as well as vaccine management.
More information to come this week.

The EIB at #EDD21: highlights and events

The full schedule of EIB participation at #EDD21 is available here:
EIB at the European Development Days 2021

Main EIB events:
• 14 June (10:00 – 12:30 CET): Universal and equitable access to healthcare and water: development solutions for Africa, speakers include Werner Hoyer, EIB President, Thomas Östros, EIB Vice-President, Maria Shaw-Barragan, EIB Director Global Partners, and Caroline Ogutu, Water Engineer at EIB Nairobi office, Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, Permanent Representative of the EIB to the EU Institutions, moderated by Mary O’Mahony, EIB Brussels office
• 15 June (16:20 – 17:05 CET): EIB Lab debate - Powering clean and affordable energy solutions for all, backing renewable energy at scale to support the Green Deal in Africa, with Ambroise Fayolle, EIB Vice-President
• 15 June (16:00 – 17:15 CET) - Brainstorming Lab - Partnerships for climate finance and a green recovery. How to close the climate investment gap and promote a green recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean?, moderated by Kristin Lang, EIB’s Head of Latin America & Caribbean Division

Please join us on our virtual stand “Greening economies, Strengthening climate resilience” soon-to-be available in the EDDs’ Global Village and engage with our EIB experts, or on our social media channels at #edd2021 #OnEarth

More information

https://www.eib.org/en/publications/development-report-2021

https://www.eib.org/en/publications/a-partnership-with-africa

About EIB, the European Investment Bank

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's bank, owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy objectives and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Europe and beyond.
Over the last 10 years, EIB financing outside the European Union has totalled €78 billion, including €26.6 billion to Africa. Active in around 160 countries around the world, the EIB supports projects aiming at reducing poverty and promoting climate action, economic resilience and gender equality.