SBI’s green portfolio crosses ₹1 trillion as the bank targets carbon neutrality by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2055.
MUMBAI (India CSR) — State Bank of India (SBI) is accelerating its ESG-led growth strategy with a strong focus on sustainable finance, climate action and responsible banking. The country’s largest lender has crossed a major milestone with its green advances portfolio exceeding the Rs. 1 trillion (Rs. One Lakh Crore) mark, reflecting a sharp 111.56% growth during FY 2025-26. Alongside this, SBI has set ambitious sustainability goals, including carbon neutrality in its internal operations by 2030, a green portfolio equivalent to 7.5% of domestic advances by 2030, and net-zero emissions by 2055. With a dedicated ESG and Climate Finance Unit, the bank is positioning itself as a key financial partner in India’s transition towards a low-carbon and sustainable economy.
India’s largest public sector bank has as formally positioned Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles at the center of its growth strategy, charting a definitive roadmap toward operational carbon neutrality by 2030 and absolute Net-Zero emissions by 2055.
According to the bank’s newly released Annual Report for FY 2025-26, SBI’s dedicated ESG and Climate Finance Unit is spearheading a massive structural shift. The strategy combines aggressive green financing with clean internal operations, backed by a time-bound roadmap to reduce year-on-year emissions through renewable energy adoption and advanced energy management systems.
The financial year 2025-26 marked a pivotal turning point for the lender’s green balance sheet. SBI reported an exponential 111.56% surge in its Green Advanced portfolio, officially crossing the milestone Rs. 1 trillion mark.
During FY 2025-26, SBI reviewed and strengthened its ESG Financing Framework (2025) to ensure continued alignment with international best practices and evolving
market standards. The Framework has been developed in alignment with the sustainable finance principles and guidelines.
To fuel this expansion, the bank has aggressively mobilized green capital through international and domestic markets:
- International Debt: Raised $1,050 million via Green Bonds and secured a €300 million Bilateral Green Term Loan to date.
- Lines of Credit: Tapped into approximately $3,596 million in Lines of Credit (LoCs) explicitly earmarked for high-impact environmental and social projects.
- Domestic Green Deposits: Amassed ₹189.08 crore under its specialized Green Deposit products, aligned with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) framework on Climate Finance.
SBI is aggressively targeting its internal infrastructure to meet its 2030 carbon-neutral goal. The bank aims to scale its green portfolio to equal 7.5% of all domestic advances by the end of the decade.
Infrastructure Highlights:
- Solar Footprint: Reached 34.69 MW of installed solar rooftop capacity across its vast network of branches and ATMs.
- Clean Power Procurement: Transitioned 361 offices across multiple states to green power via green tariff mechanisms.
- Green Certifications: Converted 117 offices into certified Green Buildings through the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), with six structures achieving coveted Net-Zero status.
To institutionalize these practices on the ground, the bank introduced the ‘Green Club’ initiative. This program tracks internal operations against strict, measurable performance metrics to ensure individual bank units are actively lowering their carbon footprint.
Beyond financing, SBI is focusing on community-level capacity building. Partnering with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the lender launched the “Solar Sakhi” initiative. The program trains women beneficiaries under the PM Surya Ghar scheme to maintain rooftop solar installations, successfully marrying women’s empowerment with clean energy infrastructure.
The bank’s aggressive sustainability push has earned significant international backing. SBI recently received the inaugural “WSBI-ESBG SDG Award 2025” in Washington DC, alongside the “Excellence in Sustainable & Responsible Banking” title at the 7th ET BFSI Exceller Awards.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Green Portfolio | Crossed ₹1 trillion |
| Growth in Green Advances | 111.56% in FY 2025-26 |
| Carbon Neutrality Target | Internal operations by 2030 |
| Green Portfolio Target | 7.5% of domestic advances by 2030 |
| Net-Zero Target | By 2055 |
| Green Bonds Raised | USD 1,050 million |
| Green Term Loan | EUR 300 million |
| Lines of Credit | Approx. USD 3,596 million |
| Green Deposits | ₹189.08 crore till March 2026 |
| Solar Rooftop Capacity | Over 34.69 MW |
| Green Offices | 361 offices using green tariff |
| Green Buildings | 117 buildings/offices |
| Net Zero Buildings | 6 buildings certified |
| Key Initiative | Green Club |
| Women-Focused Programme | Solar Sakhi |
| Recognition | WSBI-ESBG SDG Award 2025 |
Environment: Under the E parameter, company’s energy consumption, generation of toxic wastewater during production, reduction of effluent emission, release & reduction of toxic or non biodegradable, solid waste, emission and reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are considered.
Social: Under the Social parameter, the company’s contribution towards occupational hazards, CSR, turnover rate of employee, number of complaints related to working conditions and health & safety, remuneration policy (wage gap), training given to employee on skill upgradation, inclusive growth and equitable development, privacy & data security aspects are taken into consideration.
Governance: Under the governance parameter, factors considered are composition of board of directors, related party transaction disclosure, presence of women director, exit of independent directors of the company in midterm, compliances with applicable guidelines, history of fraud, infringement of laws or short-changing of minority shareholders, history of default on repayment of borrowings.
SBI has strengthened its sustainability governance by establishing a dedicated Environment, Social, Governance and Climate Finance Unit (ESG-CFU) as a centralised horizontal business unit to drive its ESG and climate finance agenda. Headed by the Chief General Manager, ESG & CFU, the unit acts as the nodal body for facilitating the bank’s climate finance goals and ensuring that sustainability priorities are integrated into business strategy, credit decisions, risk management and operational practices. The unit reports to the Deputy Managing Director, who is also the Chief Credit Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer of the bank, giving SBI’s sustainability roadmap strong senior leadership oversight and positioning ESG as a core pillar of its responsible growth strategy.
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