Sustainable Finance is at the heart of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and shapes our activities and investment decisions. The 2018 EIB Group Sustainability Report is once again testament to the achievement of the best corporate responsibility standards followed by the EIB Group. It is prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and the content is based on the results of a materiality analysis that we conducted in 2018.

Supporting sustainable and inclusive growth is at the heart of the EIB Group's lending. The EIB Group 2020 Sustainability Report looks at the impact of our global activities and our own corporate responsibility efforts. The Sustainability report should be read in conjunction with its two annexes: the GRI and SASB disclosures.

Over the last years, the European Investment Bank Group has shown that fighting COVID-19, financing the recovery, and investing in climate action and environmental sustainability are mutually supportive goals. Innovation, development and green finance are the cornerstones of our approach to creating a more sustainable economy. In 2021, the coronavirus pandemic continued to disrupt lives and businesses around the globe. At the same time, it became clear that the climate and environment crises had reached emergency levels. Urgent action is required if we are to meet the Paris Agreement's commitments and avoid biodiversity loss. The European investment Bank Group is ready to tackle these challenges, the biggest of our time. This report shows how we delivered a record €94.9 billion in financing in 2021, supporting sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe and beyond. The Sustainability report should be read in conjunction with its two annexes, the GRI and SASB disclosures, as well as with the Group's 2021 TCFD report.

The EIB Group 2019 Sustainability Report provides an overview of the European Investment Bank Group's operations and impact as they relate to our objective to support smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in a challenging European and global context. The Sustainability report should be read in conjunction with the 2019 Sustainability Reporting Disclosures. See also the EIB 2019 Sustainability Disclosures in accordance with SASB Framework and the EIB 2018 Sustainability Disclosures in accordance with SASB Framework.

The European Investment Bank is the biggest multilateral financial institution in the world. In the 2018 HIGHLIGHTS you can read about the lending volume and investment in each EU country. President Werner Hoyer lays out the STRATEGY and the thinking behind the EIB's activity in 2018. Three additional sections focus on key aspects of our goals: JOBS AND GROWTH, SUSTAINABILITY and GENDER EQUALITY. We draw a narrative from the source of the finance – an individual investor– through the process of bond issuance and lending, until the final beneficiary. You'll meet the woman in Croatia whose job as an engineer was created by that complex mechanism and the inspirational microfinance leader making such a vital difference on the ground in Senegal. You'll find a range of projects, each of which contributes to the security or advancement of women from India to Ireland. Underlying all this is our ambition to tell you about the EIB's sustainable approach to creating opportunity for EU citizens and for people in developing countries.

The EIB Circular Economy Guide aims to promote a common understanding of circular economy, and raise awareness about and promote circular solutions. The Guide provides information about EIB's lending and advisory activities in this field, and communicates our vision of how the EIB can further support the transition to a circular economy. The Guide is a living document that will be updated in response to our evolving understanding of circular economy needs, opportunities and risks, and growing experience with the appraisal and financing of circular economy projects.

In its fourth edition, this report focuses on recent developments in Africa's banking sectors and the policy options for all stakeholders. The study of banking sectors across all African sub-regions includes the results of the EIB survey of banking groups operating in Africa. Three thematic chapters address challenges and opportunities for financing investment in Africa: Crowding out of private sector lending by public debt issuance The state of bank recovery and resolution laws in Africa Policy options on how to finance infrastructure development. The report finds that in many African banking markets, the last two years saw a pause in financial deepening. However, a rising share of banking groups report improving market conditions and plan a structural expansion of their operations in Africa and a continued push for new technologies.