Arvana Singh

Head of sustainable finance solutions

Nedbank Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB)

Arvana Singh heads up Sustainable Finance Solutions, Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking’s (CIB) green finance business. Sustainable Finance Solutions structures and facilitates sustainability-driven financing such as green loans, sustainability-linked loans, green bonds and sustainability-linked bonds.

Green finance ensures that products and services are created in aid of better environmental outcomes: encouraging the development of green projects, minimising the impact regular projects have on the climate, or both.

This year, Singh’s team acted as a sustainability coordinator under a R10 billion debt package for Harmony Gold, South Africa’s largest gold producer by volume. The funding package consisted of green loan facilities supporting water savings and the reduction of carbon emissions. This was one of the largest sustainable finance transactions concluded in the country.

In 2019, the team structured and facilitated the first green bond for Nedbank Limited. This was part of their strategy to continue financing renewable energy projects under South Africa’s Renewable Independent Power Producer Programme. Due to its success, the team continued working in green finance markets to support sustainable growth in 2020 and 2021.

Leading a team that pioneers sustainable finance and is constantly innovating and driving impact is rewarding for Singh. It requires abstract thinking and creating value-based systems to find solutions. She enjoys how interconnected the sustainable finance space is to technology, energy security, social security, economic security, inclusion and governance.
In 2022, Global Finance magazine recognised Singh as a top environmental, social and corporate governance innovator globally for structuring, arranging and coordinating a green residential bond. The R1.09 billion bond was listed on the sustainability segment of the JSE; its proceeds will fund green residential developments.

On the importance of preserving our environment, Singh says: “Our natural environment is the sustenance that we need to flourish mentally, emotionally, physically and economically.”