Since 2019, Uzbekistan has been implementing the project “TA-9877 UZB: Mortgage Market Sector Development Program,” funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The main goal of the project is to create a sustainable, accessible, and environmentally responsible mortgage lending system in the country. The program actively works to modernize the regulatory framework, strengthen the capacity of financial institutions, and introduce international standards into the activities of the Uzbekistan Mortgage Refinance Company (UzMRC) and commercial banks.

On July 29, 2025, in Tashkent, experts from the NBT group of companies conducted a training session for employees of UMRC and representatives of 12 commercial banks in the country, including Asakabank JSC, Ipoteka-bank AKB, Hamkorbank AKB, SQB AKB, Agrobank AKB, BRB AKB, Turonbank AKB, Xalq banki AKB, OFB CJSC, InFinbank JSC, the National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity of the Republic of Uzbekistan JSC, and others.

The topic of the training was the implementation of an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), which meets modern requirements for sustainable mortgage lending and complies with the ADB’s safeguards policy.

During the training, the following topics were presented:

• Identification and reduction of environmental and social risks;

• Practical tools for assessing projects considering sustainability;

• Recommendations for integrating ESMS into banking lending processes.

Conducting such training sessions is an important step towards building a mortgage market that considers not only financial but also environmental and social consequences, contributing to the country’s sustainable development.