On 23 June 2026, Sierra Leone’s banking and microfinance sectors adopted the Sierra Leone Voluntary Sustainable Finance Principles, the country’s first coordinated, sector-wide sustainable finance framework for financial institutions. Watch this recap video to hear from speakers at the launch event as they explain the significance of this milestone occasion.
This timeline explores the collaborations and milestones involved in producing Sierra Leone’s first coordinated, sector-wide framework for integrating environmental, social and governance considerations into financial sector decision-making, leading to its adoption on 23 June 2026.
Key government and private‑sector leaders gathered on Friday, 16 January 2026, as Invest Salone, a UK-funded private sector development programme, hosted a high‑level event aimed at deepening collaboration and boosting investment in Sierra Leone’s expanding private sector. The event showcased Invest Salone’s contribution to improving the business environment and reinforced its role as a partner and facilitator, bringing together diverse stakeholders to address systemic constraints through dialogue and cooperation.
This framework comprises nine voluntary principles designed to help financial institutions integrate environmental, social and governance considerations into lending, investment and business decision-making. It represents Sierra Leone’s first coordinated, sector-wide framework for integrating ESG considerations into financial sector decision-making.
This sector-level guidance supports financial institutions with the implementation of the voluntary sustainable finance principles. It is tailored for a diverse range of financial institutions – from microfinance lenders to larger commercial banks – and focuses on the “everyday” business of banking with micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Sierra Leone, covering the key sectors: agriculture, fisheries and forestry; construction; energy and energy efficiency; and value chains (e.g. manufacturing and wholesale/retail trade).
Find out how a partnership between Invest Salone, Vista Bank Sierra Leone and the Small Foundation is shifting the bank’s portfolio toward lending to SMEs by strengthening credit assessment tools and improving sector knowledge, with support from a risk-sharing guarantee.
The March 2026 edition includes coverage of our January showcase and highlights stories and resources about the partnerships, technical support and investment outcomes exhibited at the event.
Discover more about Freetown Waste Transformers, the operational support they received from Redsalt Angel Investment Network and the impact of investment in the company.
Discover more about Jolaks, the ecosystem support they received and the impact of Proparco’s investment in the company.
Explore Jolaks’s investment journey to its deal with Proparco.