The First Vice-Governor of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG), Ekaterine Mikabadze, participated in an event dedicated to the presentation of Lion Finance Group’s 2025 Sustainability Report.

In her remarks, the First Vice-Governor emphasized that high-quality reporting is the cornerstone of transparency, market discipline, and long-term value creation. She noted that the progress achieved in sustainable development is the result of close cooperation among regulators, financial institutions, and international partners.

“Sustainable finance does not develop in isolation it is built on shared standards, shared experience, and shared responsibility,” said the First Vice-Governor.

She added that since joining the Sustainable Banking Network (SBN) in 2017, the NBG has been developing a comprehensive framework to integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations into the financial system.

“Our goal is to promote sustainable economic growth while strengthening resilience to emerging risks, including climate-related risks,” Mikabadze stated.

She also highlighted the Sustainable Finance Roadmap and ESG guidelines developed by the NBG, which support the integration of ESG risk management, including climate risks, across the sector.

“In addition, we have established a Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, aligned with international best practices, to clearly define green and social economic activities,” she said.

Mikabadze also referred to the regulatory framework developed by the NBG for green, social, sustainability, and sustainability-linked bonds. This framework establishes clear standards for such instruments, enhances investor confidence, and facilitates capital mobilization for sustainable projects.

“I would also like to note that 43% of corporate bonds currently outstanding in the local market are green, social, sustainability, or sustainability-linked bonds,” she stated.

As part of the event, Salome Tvalodze, Head of the Sustainable Finance Division at the NBG, delivered a presentation on the future of sustainable finance, as well as the NBG’s strategic priorities and supervisory expectations in this area.

The event was attended by foreign investors, as well as representatives of international financial institutions and partner organizations.