In 2023, maib adopted a comprehensive sustainability strategy anchored in six pillars:

Climate Risk Initiative & Governance:
This pillar is aimed at identifying, assessing, and mitigating climate-related risks. Initiatives here include the implementation of a Climate Risk Management Framework and the use of a climate heatmap to steer lending decisions.

Transparency:
Dedicated to open reporting, this pillar supports initiatives that ensure regular disclosure of sustainability performance, including adherence to GRI standards and obtaining sustainability ratings.

Sustainable Operations:
Focusing on reducing the bank’s own environmental footprint, this area covers energy efficiency measures, waste reduction strategies, and the monitoring of carbon emissions across all operational scopes.

People:
This pillar prioritizes employee well-being and development. Initiatives include  comprehensive training programs and targeted skills development to foster a collaborative culture.

Financial Health & Inclusion:
Aimed at broadening access to banking services, initiatives here facilitate improved access for underserved communities and vulnerable groups through tailored financial products.

Green & Sustainable Products:
Focused on expanding the portfolio of sustainable finance, this pillar drives initiatives such as dedicated green loans to support renewable energy projects and help reduce financed carbon emissions.

The strategy includes over 60 tangible ESG initiatives, a Climate Risk Management Framework, an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), green lending targets, and the establishment of an internal sustainability committee.

It was approved by the Supervisory Board in 2023, aligning with Moldova’s commitments to EU legislation and national green goals. It was developed with support from the Green for Growth Fund.

Maib aims to future-proof its business, mitigate climate-related risks, and fulfill its role as a systemically important bank in Moldova. The strategy responds to stakeholder expectations and positions maib as a sustainable banking leader.

Crucial to the successful implementation of maib’s ESG Strategy is an efficient and robust ESG governance apparatus. The figure below displays maib’s ESG governance structure and the resulting distribution of ESG-related tasks and responsibilities.

Maib’s ongoing sustainability efforts have been evaluated and a rating has been issued, which is shown below:

ESG Risk Rating Overall Score:

24.3

ESG Risk Rating Category:

Medium Risk

ESG rating description:

Morningstar Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Ratings measure a company’s exposure to industry-specific material ESG risks and how well a company is managing those risks. This multi-dimensional way of measuring ESG risk combines the concepts of management and exposure to arrive at an assessment of ESG risk, i.e.a total unmanaged ESG risk score or the ESG Risk Rating, that is comparable across all industries. Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Ratings provide a quantitative measure of unmanaged ESG risk and distinguish between five levels of risk: negligible, low, medium, high and severe. Learn more about the ESG Risk Ratings here.

Company profile:

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Maib’s environmental impact is largely driven by its lending activities. The bank has integrated a robust Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and has committed to measuring and reducing emissions from its own operations. 

In parallel, maib’s lending portfolio contributes significantly to its overall impact. Financed emissions were estimated at 928,000 tonnes of CO₂ in 2023, with the bank’s green portfolio helping to avoid over 45,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. This reduction plays a key role in supporting Moldova’s energy independence and aligning the bank’s operations with broader national and international sustainability goals.
 

Maib’s Own Carbon Emissions by Scope (tonnes CO₂/year)

Financed Emissions by Division (2023)

Employee Development

Maib is committed to investing in its human capital. Training and development are viewed as a way to build a sustainable competitive advantage for maib on the Moldovan banking market. It is also a critical tool in the war for talent, enabling maib to attract and retain quality employees, for many of whom professional development is a top priority. Maib academy is envisioned to achieve these objectives and is a cornerstone of maib’s transformation

Annual training budget (MDL)

Average number of training hours per employee

Maib’s green loan portfolio reached a value of MDL 580 million by the end of 2023. The portfolio is primarily focused on financing renewable energy projects, including solar and wind energy initiatives. One highlighted product is the “Energy for Trade” loan, designed to support SMEs in installing renewable energy systems. These initiatives not only contribute to Moldova’s sustainable energy goals but also help avoid emissions.

Maib's Green Portfolio Breakdown (MDL thous):

The bank continues to expand its sustainable finance efforts by developing an internal green fund and a comprehensive green taxonomy, ensuring that future green investments are tracked and managed effectively.