It is easy to be cynical about environmental, social and governance, but Green Delta Capital is all the proof sceptics need that environmentally friendly finance is a sound business proposition. Founded in 2010, the investment bank has quickly become one of the fastest growing in Bangladesh Green Delta, led by chief executive Rafiqul Islam. Pretty much does it all, but its specialities are investment banking solution such as syndication, IPOs, corporate advisory, and portfolio and wealth management. It does all these with a twist though: the greener the better. At this point, Islam says, the bank doesn’t bother with deals that are perceived as environmentally damaging. On the surface, this approach might seem out of step with profit opportunities in a developing nation such as Bangladesh. But there are ample ESG-related opportunites in the country, which has notoriously high polution levels and suffers from devastating annual floods. Green Delta’s driving philosophy, as Islam puts it, is looking at where and how the country is trying to change itself from an agriculture-based economy to a manufacturing economy to a tech-dominated economy. In this context, Green Delta’s team is devoted to driving action on climate change and advancing sustainable finance-and turning a profit while doing it. Its most-important ESG delas in 2021 included arranging $36 million in financing for the small and meduium-sized enterprise sector, including for green and sustainabke projects; raising Tk 8.9 billion (100 million) for environmentally friendly projects and to support a post-Covid recovery; and serving as a sell-side adviser for a Norwegian sponsor of a solar power project in Bangladesh. The crux of the win-win that Green Delta seeks to provide is to focus on meeting the diverse needs of cutomers while ensuing an increase in return on investment. ESG priorities can remain on course regardless of the business environment, thanks to financing from multilateral lenders such as the World Bank. Its International Finance Corporation is an equity partner of the parent company. This gives the Green Delta team the flexibility to continue to extend services in rural areas-to establish more sustainable manufacturing plants that both create employment opportunites and reduce Bangladesh’s carbon footprint. In the Covid era, Green Delta aims to offer lower-cost funds to business and entrepreneurs who promote sound coporate governance. One priority for 2022 in facilitating various green projects-from solar power plants and low-pollution manufacturing technology to sustainable transportation-related infrastructure. Other projects prioritize access to safe and reliable water supplies and sanitation for the underprivileged. Channeling funds to low-income borrowers to finance healthcare in rural areas is also a focus. So in helping to create an alternative private debt market to transform Dhaka into a regional sustainable finance hub. Green Delta seems well-positioned to push the issue in Bangladesh. It has deep relationships in fast-moving sectors such as consumer goods, healthcare, ready-made garments and telecommunications. It also has business outside Bangladesh – in Malaysia, Nepal and Sri Lanka for example. The bank’s portfolio and wealth management divisions are assisting local and foreign investors seeking to tap sustainable capital market opportunites. In addition, it provides free investment education sessions to share Green Delta’s ESG world view. Many bank chief executives like to claim that their teams contribute to the greater good. But Islam’s contention, that Green Delta is excelling both at doing good and doing well, is hard to refute.