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Emirates NBD said in a statement that it had launched the UAE’s first dedicated Transition Finance Framework to support corporate and institutional customers in transforming to more sustainable business models. The framework sets out a methodology for identifying, assessing and labelling transition finance activities that aid the decarbonisation of high-emitting and hard-to-abate sectors. Those sectors include manufacturing, mining, power and energy, real estate, transportation and storage, agriculture, and information technology, which the statement described as often complex, capital-intensive or technologically challenging. The announcement noted that the framework assists clients whose activities do not yet qualify as green but who are pursuing credible emissions reductions and transitions to sustainable operations.
According to the bank’s statement, the Transition Finance Framework was developed with reference to the ICMA Climate Transition Finance Handbook, the ICMA Climate Transition Bond Guidelines 2025 and the Loan Market Association Guide to Transition Loan Finance 2025. Emirates NBD commissioned DNV Assurance to deliver a Second Party Opinion on the framework, reinforcing its credibility and market alignment. The statement highlighted that the initiative builds on the bank’s existing Sustainable Finance and Sustainability-Linked Loan Frameworks. Corporate and institutional banking clients will receive improved access to transition finance, clearer eligibility criteria and targeted support for investments in emissions reduction, energy efficiency, cleaner technologies and low-carbon models.
The bank’s release outlined several direct benefits for customers seeking to align with evolving investor, lender and regulatory expectations around climate action. Improved guidance on transition activities forms a central element of the framework’s design. Support for investments that deliver measurable decarbonisation outcomes represents another key feature. Alignment with international standards helps position participating clients more favourably in sustainable capital markets.
Vijay Bains, Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Head of ESG at Emirates NBD, said in the statement, “At Emirates NBD, our goal is to empower our clients with robust, transparent, and innovative transition finance solutions. This new Framework expands our existing and established Sustainable Finance and Sustainability-Linked Loan Financing Bond Frameworks, ensuring we are fully equipped to support the real economy transition across the UAE and the wider region.” Bains added that the framework provides a consistent internal methodology to assess eligible transition activities and engage clients on credible opportunities. He noted that it reinforces the bank’s role as a trusted partner in the region’s shift toward lower-carbon operations.
Emirates NBD’s statement indicated that the framework underpins its commitment to mobilise USD 30 billion in sustainable and transition finance by 2030. The bank supports the UAE Banking Federation’s ambition to mobilise AED 1 trillion in sustainable finance by 2030, a target that gained momentum after the UAE hosted COP28 in Dubai in 2023 according to industry reports. Earlier investor presentations from Emirates NBD had identified publication of a transition finance framework as a priority milestone in its sustainability roadmap. The July 2026 half-year results announcement from the bank described the publication as a first for any UAE lender aligned with ICMA and LMA standards.
The statement emphasised that the dedicated transition approach accelerates the bank’s progress toward its financing goal while channelling capital into activities that advance decarbonisation, industrial transformation and long-term resilience. Emirates NBD’s sustainability disclosures show the framework forms part of a broader platform that integrates environmental, social and governance considerations across its MENATSA operations. The bank’s H1 2026 financial results also highlighted its leading ESG rating profile across Sustainalytics, S&P and MSCI.
