Having lent more than BRL $21.9 billion ($4.4 billion) to the 'green economy', the judging panel praised Sicredi for its "significant green lending" within emerging markets this last year.

That package consisted of projects including renewable energy, energy efficiency, supporting women-led small and micro businesses, and low-carbon agriculture, which received the majority (BRL $7.8 billion) of the lending.

To measure the ESG credentials of its investments, Sicredi publishes annual sustainability reports that detail the social and environmental initiatives, goals, and progress and an annual Impact report that details the social and environmental impacts of the green, social, and sustainable instruments. It also outlines best practices in its Sustainable finance Framework, validated with a second-party opinion from Sustainalytics.

"The core of our work is cooperation and an interest in having a positive impact on people's lives and on society. We have increasingly entered into international partnerships to raise funds in line with ESG criteria, which generate support for various activities, with the added advantage of also collaborating on social and environmental aspects. The recognition of the relevance we have generated through these initiatives fills us with pride and reinforces the importance of sustainability in all our activities," César Bochi, Sicredi´s CEO, said.