NCBA Bank joined the world in marking World Environment Day with a renewed call for collective action on ecosystem restoration, underscoring the lender’s growing role as a leader in ESG-driven banking across East Africa.
The lender participated in the planting of indigenous trees at Kamwaki Estate in Kiambu County, an exercise that brought together farmers, sustainability stakeholders, conservation partners, and local communities.
The event, organised in partnership with Boreka Initiative, is part of NCBA’s broader sustainability agenda and reflects the Group’s commitment to embedding sustainability into its operations and business strategy through responsible environmental practices, sustainable financing and community-led interventions.
Over the years, NCBA has demonstrated how financial institutions can move beyond financing to actively support ecosystem restoration and climate resilience on the ground.
Since launching its 15 Sustainability Commitments in 2023, the lender has made significant progress in advancing environmental and social impact.
The Group has supported the growing of more than 1.4 million trees, mobilised Sh9.5 billion in Green and Sustainable Financing, achieved an annual waste recycling rate of 83.59 percent and established six electric vehicle charging stations across Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
Through its sustainability and community programmes, more than 1.4 million livelihoods have also been positively impacted.
The lender’s long-term target of growing 10 million trees by 2030 is supported by strategic partnerships that combine environmental conservation with community empowerment.
Among the most impactful is its collaboration with Boreka Group, launched in 2023 to advance ecosystem restoration while creating sustainable economic opportunities for local communities.
Since its inception, the partnership has facilitated the planting of 340,000 trees across 35 indigenous species, engaged 642 farmers, trained more than 1,000 farmers in sustainable agroforestry practices and supported the creation of 400 green jobs.
Additionally, more than 10,000 people, including farming households, workers, suppliers and surrounding communities, have benefited from the initiative.
NCBA’s approach emphasises long-term environmental outcomes rather than one-off interventions. The programme has achieved a seedling survival rate of approximately 75 percent, reflecting sustained investment in nurturing and maintaining restored ecosystems.
Based on observed growth data, trees planted through the partnership have already sequestered an estimated 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent since 2023.
Over a projected lifespan of 20 years, the trees have the potential to remove more than 765,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
In 2026 alone, the bank committed to planting an additional 100,000 trees through the partnership, with 40,185 already planted by the end of May.
The inspiration behind Kamwaki Estate
Kamwaki Estate was selected as the venue for this year’s World Environment Day engagement because of its unique position within one of Kenya’s leading coffee-growing regions.
The estate offers a practical example of how sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration can coexist within productive landscapes.
Its agroforestry-based coffee farming model demonstrates the connection between healthy ecosystems, resilient agricultural systems and sustainable livelihoods, making it an ideal setting for showcasing integrated approaches to environmental and economic sustainability.
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