Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzpromstroybank has received the EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) certification for its head office, becoming one of the first commercial banks in Uzbekistan to achieve this for an existing building.

The certification is part of the implementation of the presidential decree issued on 28 January 2022, aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of Uzbekistan’s economy by 20% and reducing harmful gas emissions by 2026.

As part of this decree, the bank is implementing energy-saving technologies, utilizing recommendations from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the EDGE program, which is designed to enhance building efficiency.

The process of obtaining the EDGE certification began in late 2023 with the involvement of the Dutch Center for Research and Environmental Engineering HPBS B.V. Following an audit of 40 bank buildings, one, the head office, has already been recognized as meeting the EDGE standard requirements.

The achievements of the certified building include:

- Reduction in energy consumption by 23%

- Decrease in water consumption by 24%

- Complete reduction of the carbon footprint of construction materials

- Savings of 320 tons of CO2 per year

Uzpromstroybank acknowledges its social responsibility to mitigate environmental threats and is actively working towards "green banking," promoting the concept of sustainable development. Further certification of other bank branches according to EDGE standards is planned.

The EDGE standard, developed by the IFC, aims to encourage the construction of "green" buildings in developing countries and provides access to benefits from international financial institutions, including "green" financing.