My Story in Green Banking and Climate Finance | Mohamed Alaa Eldin

My story is about using finance not just for profit, but to serve people and planet. From green banking in Egypt to climate finance on global stages, I've seen how ideas can shape communities. That is why I am here—to bring this voice, and to turn finance into a force for change.

In 2015, I walked into the European Investment Bank as the only Egyptian in the room. Each step under the bright lights reminded me I was on new ground, and the echo of my footsteps reminded me just how far I was from home.

When it was my turn to speak, silence filled the room. And in that silence, I realized something powerful: I wasn't just Mohamed Alaa Eldin. I was carrying my country, my continent, my generation.

I promised myself that I would never let that silence go to waste—that I would use every opportunity to bring my country, my region, and my generation into the conversation.

I would step into every room, bring our stories forward, and make our voices heard. Being "the only one" is never about being alone—it's about opening doors for others.

Conflict & Struggle

Being a young African in global finance is not easy. At institutions like the African Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, and the European Investment Bank, I often felt invisible. My ideas were dismissed before I could finish speaking. Sustainability was seen as a luxury. Youth voices—my voice—were often ignored. I questioned: Do I really belong here?

Back home in Egypt, the challenges were just as real. Innovation in finance met resistance. Talking about green banking cards, circular economy projects, or sustainable finance often sounded like fiction. Traditional systems moved slowly, and as a young professional, I constantly felt pressure to "wait my turn."

I struggled with doubt and fear that perhaps being "the only one" meant being alone. I remember pitching a green banking idea in Egypt. Across the table, top management bankers leaned back, arms crossed, eyes filled with doubt. The room was heavy with silence, and my heart pounded—would they take me seriously?

Breakthrough & Transformation

Then I realized something: my difference—being young, Egyptian, African—was not weakness. It was strength.

At the Export Development Bank of Egypt, I led innovative projects in sustainable banking, green finance, and financial inclusion. I introduced eco-friendly banking cards made from plant-based materials. I linked financial inclusion with environmental action, showing that banks could be both profitable and responsible. The first customer laughed, then smiled. Their engagement reminded me that change begins with tangible, simple actions. Partners joined, projects scaled, and recognition followed.

Beyond Egypt, my experience with AfDB, IDB, BSTDB, and EIB shaped my understanding of development finance, loan management, and values-driven banking. I learned that finance can either deepen inequality or drive real, lasting development.

Recognition came—UNCTAD for Best Research Paper in Economy and Trade, Misr El Kheir Award for Circular Economy Innovation, Egyptian Banking Institute Award for Sustainable Banking, Egyptian Competition Authority Award, Dairah Innovation Award, Climate Leader Innovation Award, UK Alumni Award, and more.

But the true breakthrough wasn't the trophies. It was realizing that my voice, once met with silence, could spark conversations, influence policies, and inspire movements.

Mentorship became central. I trained and guided young people across Egypt, helping them develop projects in sustainable finance, circular economy, and financial inclusion. Seeing mentees present their ideas globally reminded me: being the "only one" is not isolation—it is opportunity.

Insight & Call to Action

So, what have I learned as a young African leader, researcher, mentor, and advocate?

Being "the only one" is not weakness. It is strength. You carry a story no one else can tell. Finance is not just numbers—it is choices about whose future is funded, whose dreams are supported, and whose voices are heard. Leadership is not about waiting for the spotlight. It is about stepping in, carrying your people, your community, and your values into spaces that need them.

I stand here as the UNCCD Youth Caucus MENA Focal Point, Egypt Coordinator of the UNCTAD Youth Action Hub, EU JEEL Connector, member of Chatham House, UNESCO Global Youth Community, and many other global networks. I am a Research Fellow and Visiting Scholar at AUC and BUE, a Research Associate at Monash University, and a PhD candidate in Finance and Economic Development at the University of Almeria.

I have participated in global forums including UNFCCC COP27 & COP28, UNCCD COP16, World Urban Forum, World Investment Forum, and the World Youth Forum.

Each of these events shaped my leadership. They taught me that leadership is not about titles, but about impact. I learned to listen deeply, connect across cultures, and turn challenges into solutions. That is why I want to be in this room today—not only to share my story, but to build bridges, to bring Africa's youth into the global conversation, and to show how finance and leadership can serve both people and planet.

My call to you: Step into those rooms, even if you are the only one. Speak your truth. Push your ideas. Mentor others. Break the silence.

From the silence of that room in 2015, I have turned that echo into a voice—a voice for Africa, for youth, for change. Ten years later, I stand not as one voice, but as part of a generation rewriting Africa's economic story—a generation that refuses to be invisible, and a generation that believes finance must serve people and planet alike.