EIB Group to accelerate and simplify green investment, boosting European competitiveness, energy security and tech leadership

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• EIB Board adopts second phase of pioneering Climate Bank Roadmap, focusing on competitiveness, security and lower energy prices for companies and families.
• Plan includes doubling of investment for climate change adaptation, along with radically simplified procedures.
• Decision consolidates EIB Group’s role as the Climate Bank and reaffirms commitment to staying the course as anchor financier of the green industrial revolution.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is pressing ahead with phase two of its pioneering Climate Bank Roadmap, staying the course as anchor financier of the green industrial revolution, energy security and shared prosperity. Building on the resounding success of the roadmap since its launch in 2020, the second phase sets out the EIB Group’s priorities through to the end of this decade, while radically simplifying its procedures to accelerate green investment.

The EIB Board of Directors has adopted phase two of the roadmap along with the Energy Sector Orientation, consolidating the Group’s position as the Climate Bank. Phase two is built on three main levers:

• Stronger focus on competitiveness, security and lower energy prices for companies and families, by bringing affordable and locally produced clean energy to businesses and households, fostering innovative solutions and strengthening Europe’s technological leadership.
• Doubling of adaptation financing to €30 billion between 2026 and 2030: The Board’s decision this week in Cyprus – the most water-scarce country in Europe – highlights the importance of adaptation for collective security and prosperity, while also emphasising its clear economic returns.
• Radical simplification: Eliminating gold-plating by relying on self-assessment and existing rules and reports,benchmarks, regulatory standards and counterparty rules, and extended use of efficient green checkers.

“Building on the great success of our Climate Bank Roadmap, we are doubling down on the green transition, because it’s the right thing to do for our future, and also the smart thing to do for our economies,” said EIB Group President Nadia Calviño. “With an energy revolution that is in full swing, we are staying the course for today’s competitiveness, for today’s security, for tomorrow’s planet.”

Competitiveness, security and lower energy prices

Since the launch of the Climate Bank Roadmap in 2020, the EIB Group has supported over €560 billion in green investment – around 90% within the European Union (EU) – and is well on track to meet its headline goal of supporting at least €1 trillion in green investment this decade. With the second phase of the roadmap, the EIB Group reaffirms its commitment to allocate over half of its annual financing to climate action and environmental sustainability.

Looking ahead, the EIB Group will be stepping up efforts to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness by supporting cleantech, reinforcing supply chains, helping businesses cut energy costs, and improving energy security, with specialised products such as tailored financing for power purchase agreements. The EIB Group has planned a record €11 billion in new financing for energy grids this year alone, having already mobilised 40% of Europe’s total investment in this sector in 2024, with ambitions to raise the figure even higher this year.

A new €17 billion initiative will help 350 000 European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) invest in energy savings, while counter-guarantees for wind and grid manufacturers will secure sustainable supply. The TechEU programme, Europe’s largest innovation financing initiative, aims to mobilise €250 billion by 2027, with support for cleantech innovators among its key priorities.

To ensure a fair green transition, the EIB is also supporting lower-income households through affordable renovation loans and cleantech leasing of assets such as vehicles and heat pumps, in partnership with local banks. A new climate-gender investment and advisory package will scale up the delivery of low-carbon and climate adaptation solutions for women, girls and diverse population groups worldwide.

Doubling adaptation finance to €30 billion

Investing in adaptation is both essential and economically wise: extreme weather events in Europe this summer alone caused at least €43 billion in short-term economic losses, while every euro spent on prevention and adaptation is estimated to save between five and seven euros in future damages and reconstruction costs.

The EIB Group will double its climate adaptation financing to €30 billion for the 2026–2030 period, compared to the previous five years. This enhanced support will focus on agriculture, water cycle management, companies, cities, regions and vulnerable communities, in close collaboration with the European Commission and national, regional and private sector partners. To help clients get projects off the ground, the EIB Group will significantly boost technical assistance, including for the world’s most vulnerable populations, such as small island developing states, least developed countries, low-income communities, indigenous peoples, women, migrants, young people and older people.

Radical simplification

The EIB Group is simplifying its processes to accelerate access to green finance and reduce administrative burdens, especially for SMEs. By leveraging EU reporting standards, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and expanding the use of digital tools like the Green Checker, the EIB Group is accelerating and streamlining access to finance and cutting red tape for its clients.

This approach strengthens EIB Group support for EU initiatives such as the Competitiveness Compass and the Omnibus Simplification Package. Under the second phase of the roadmap, the EIB Group is streamlining its requirements for companies, particularly those accessing its products through partner banks, and aligning reporting requirements with EU sustainability standards such as the CSRD to further reduce client reporting obligations.

Global partnerships

The EIB Group is finalising a strategic orientation for its operations outside the European Union, designed to strengthen win-win partnerships to drive the global green transition and create opportunities for European green pioneers.

Stakeholder engagement

In line with its commitment to openness and transparency, the EIB Group invited external stakeholders to contribute to the development of the second phase of its Climate Bank Roadmap and its Energy Sector Orientation. A meeting in July 2025 drew over 160 registrations, demonstrating strong engagement from civil society, institutional partners and the wider public. A follow-up meeting was organised in September 2025. Stakeholders were also encouraged to submit written feedback, which has been compiled in a dedicated report. 

Background information   

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. The EIB finances investments in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world and Europe’s capital markets union.   

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.  

Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the EU targets cohesion regions, where per-capita income is below the EU average, while almost 60% of annual EIB Group investments support climate action and environmental sustainability. 

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