As part of the UfM Digital Sustainable Week held in Istanbul from 26 to 29 May 2025, Christine de Visser, Project Manager at the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA), moderated the panel discussion “Green Guarantees and ESG as Drivers of Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth”, hosted on 27 May at the Dedeman Hotel.

Organised as a follow-up to the EMGN Spring Academy 2025, the session explored the critical yet often underutilised role of guarantee institutions in advancing sustainable development in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean. The panel examined how guarantee schemes reduce investment risk, facilitate access to finance for SMEs, and promote alignment with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Panelists included: Lasitha Perera, CEO, The Development Guarantee Group & Green Guarantee Company (UK); Amal Jaradat, Deputy Director General, Jordan Loan Guarantee Corporation (Jordan); Abdelmoughite Abdelmounem, Chief Strategy Officer, Tamwilcom (Morocco); and Almutasem Alkhateeb, Senior Business Development Specialist, Kalafah (Saudi Arabia).

The discussion offered actionable insights for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and financial institutions on designing inclusive financial tools that support green investment and social resilience in the region.

The UfM Digital Sustainable Week, organised by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in collaboration with the German Development Cooperation, brought together regional stakeholders to explore the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, sustainable trade, and investment in fostering inclusive and green growth.

The EMGN Spring Academy 2025 was organised by the Euro-Mediterranean Guarantee Network (EMGN), led by EMEA and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMED), in collaboration with the Development Guarantee Group, the Green Guarantee Company, and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The Academy was hosted by the UfM as a side event to the UfM Digital Sustainable Week.