As the world accelerates toward COP30 in Belém, one truth is becoming unavoidable: adaptation finance will define the next era of development banking. The institutions that learn to convene the right stakeholders; government, regulators, SMEs, communities, development partners, climate-tech innovators, will be the ones that capture the new flow of adaptation capital poised to enter emerging markets.
For Ghana’s banks, strategic stakeholder engagement is no longer a compliance exercise; it is a pipeline-building mechanism. By aligning consultations, roundtables, and sector dialogues with COP30’s priorities, that is locally led adaptation, nature-based solutions, resilient agriculture, climate-proof infrastructure, and indigenous community inclusion, banks can position themselves as credible partners in global climate commitments.
Imagine a bank hosting pre-COP30 adaptation forums that gather farmers, fintechs, insurers, and municipal planners to co-design climate-resilient loan products. Or co-developing resilience scorecards with regulators and DFIs to unlock concessional finance.
This is not hypothetical. It is a practical route to reducing risk, growing climate portfolios, and meeting the surge of capital earmarked for adaptation under evolving COP frameworks.
When banks become the bridge, translating community needs into financeable solutions and donor priorities into bankable pipelines, they don’t just participate in climate finance; they shape where they flow. Ghana’s banks have a unique opportunity to lead the way in adaptation finance, driving climate resilience and prosperity in the region.
By engaging stakeholders and aligning with COP30 priorities, Ghana’s banks can unlock adaptation finance and position themselves at the forefront of climate finance in Africa. The time to act is now, and Ghana’s banks are ready to seize the opportunity.
By: Justice Akoto, Sustainable Operations Advisor, Fidelity Bank Ghana
Source: www.climatewatchonline.com
