NLB Banka Sarajevo Secures EBRD Green Financing With EU Incentives To Drive Sustainable Living And Community Growth

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a €2 million loan to NLB Banka Sarajevo to support green investments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This marks the first time NLB Banka has received green financing from the EBRD. The loan is part of the third phase of the EBRD’s flagship Western Balkans Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF). The funds will support NLB Banka’s ongoing sustainability efforts by enabling it to finance gender-responsive green investment projects in both the residential and public sectors. This includes initiatives by individual homeowners, housing collectives and management companies, service providers, suppliers of green technologies and materials, construction companies, and public institutions.

The financing will be complemented by grant incentives funded by the European Union, allowing households to access grants of up to 20 percent of their loan amounts upon successful completion of green projects. Stela Melnic, EBRD’s Head of Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighted the significance of the partnership, stating that the green financing will help the country move toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. She emphasized that the GEFF III REpower Programme will fund projects aimed at making homes and public buildings more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, while promoting inclusive and climate-resilient growth across communities.

Lidija Žigić, CEO of NLB Banka Sarajevo, said that the collaboration with EBRD represents a key step in advancing the bank’s sustainability agenda. She noted that the financing will enable households, housing collectives, construction companies, and public institutions to invest in energy-efficient and renewable technologies, supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina’s green transition while empowering communities to reduce energy consumption and costs.

Berin Lakomica, CMO of NLB Banka Sarajevo, added that the GEFF III REpower Programme provides tangible benefits to clients by making green investments more accessible and affordable. The combination of attractive financing conditions and EU-backed incentives allows households to modernize buildings, improve energy efficiency, and adopt renewable technologies with a reduced financial burden. He noted that demand for such projects is already strong, particularly in the residential segment, and that the program will help broaden the market for green technologies while promoting smarter and more sustainable living.

NLB Banka Sarajevo is a universal commercial bank serving retail, SME, corporate, and public-sector clients in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Brčko District through a network of 34 business units. Since beginning operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1996, the EBRD has invested over €3.4 billion across 254 projects. The bank’s strategic priorities in the country include promoting the green economy, supporting private-sector competitiveness, and fostering regional integration.

The GEFF programme is co-funded by the European Union, Austria, Japan, and Denmark, and through the EBRD’s High-Impact Partnership on Climate Action (HIPCA) by Austria and Switzerland. HIPCA also receives support from Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, TaiwanICDF, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.