Absa Bank Kenya’s Head of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs, Charles Wokabi, has highlighted the role of sustainable finance in accelerating Kenya’s transition to a greener, more inclusive economy, as businesses and financial institutions explore practical ways to translate sustainability commitments into investment and measurable impact.
Wokabi made the rallying call during the GreenShift Forum 2026, which was held in Nairobi on 22 October. He reflected the growing importance of financial institutions in mobilising capital for sustainable business practices, climate action and inclusive economic growth.
Held under the theme, Powering Kenya’s Sustainability Transformation, the forum brought together business leaders, financiers, policymakers, sustainability practitioners and innovators to examine how environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities can be integrated into business strategy and translated into practical outcomes.
The discussions covered six interconnected areas: ESG as a competitive advantage, green finance and carbon markets, electric mobility, the circular economy, renewable energy innovation, and public-private partnerships.
Absa Bank Kenya participated in the forum’s green finance discussions, contributing to conversations on how financial institutions can support sustainable investments and help businesses overcome barriers to financing the transition.
Speaking during the forum, Charles Wokabi emphasised that sustainability must be reflected in an organisation’s core business decisions.
‘’If you are an organisation that is serious about sustainability, then sustainable business practices must be reflected in your core business; both in the way you manage your operations and, in the propositions, you offer to your customers. Planting and growing trees is good, but it should not equate to your entire sustainability story,” said Mr Wokabi.
Charles Wokabi’s Rallying Call On Sustainability
Charles Wokabi urged the financial sector to adopt innovative financing models, such as guarantees and risk-sharing arrangements, to make sustainable initiatives more viable for banks.
“In the financial sector, there’s a growing need for innovative financing mechanisms that make sustainable projects more viable, including guarantees and risk-sharing arrangements that can encourage banks to expand their appetite for opportunities and initiatives that might otherwise struggle to secure funding. This is one of the ways we are growing our sustainable finance portfolio at Absa, towards our target of 30% of total portfolio by 2030,” added Mr Wokabi.
Absa has channelled more than KES 200 billion into sustainable finance over the past five years, supporting inclusive finance as well as green and climate finance. A significant share of this financing has gone towards small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women in business and young people, alongside initiatives addressing climate-related risks.
In 2025, Absa disbursed KES 55.3 billion in sustainable finance, including KES 6.5 billion in climate finance. Its Sustainability Strategy 2026–2030 targets sustainable finance equivalent to at least 30% of its total portfolio by 2030.
The forum’s wider programme explored how sustainability intersects with business competitiveness, technology and economic development.
For businesses, this means developing sustainability initiatives that respond to genuine customer needs and make commercial sense. For financiers, it means understanding customers’ business models and providing appropriate financial solutions to support viable investments.
By bringing together stakeholders across finance, technology, energy, mobility and policy, GreenShift Forum provided a platform for examining these challenges and identifying practical pathways towards a more resilient and inclusive economy.
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