House of
Sustainable
Finance

Turning sustainable finance into practical action and lasting progress.

We help financial institutions, businesses and development partners in Ethiopia and across Africa build stronger ESG systems, prepare climate-responsive plans and report credible results.

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About HSF

Local understanding.
Global ambition.
Practical by design.

House of Sustainable Finance PLC is an Addis Ababa based sustainability and ESG practice serving financial institutions, development partners, public institutions, SMEs and corporate teams.

We connect international frameworks with Ethiopian regulations and African market realities. Our work spans ESG integration, climate planning, responsible business conduct, reporting, research and professional training.

Every engagement should leave teams with clearer decisions, stronger systems and credible evidence — and practical tools they can keep using after our work together ends.

  1. 01

    Context matters

    Strategies and systems shaped for the institution, its operating environment and the people it serves.

  2. 02

    Evidence matters

    Plans and project concepts linked to controls, useful indicators and honest reporting.

  3. 03

    Capability matters

    Practical learning and implementation support for the teams who must keep the work moving.

Sustainability work connects climate action, responsible resource use and the resilience of people and local economies.

Solar panels generating power in a rural landscape
Climate action
Mangrove trees growing in coastal water
Nature & responsible business
Woman carrying water through a field in Ethiopia
Livelihoods & resilience

Why sustainable finance

Climate risk reaches the whole economy.
Resilience needs better decisions.

Heat, erratic rainfall, drought and flooding put pressure on livelihoods, food systems and local economies. A useful response considers the full chain of effects and the people who carry the greatest risk.

01

Smallholder farmers

Uncertain seasons can reduce yields, damage assets and make it harder to plan, borrow, invest and bring food to market.

02

Women

Water and food stress can add to unpaid work, while unequal access to land, finance and decisions limits the ability to adapt.

03

Young people

Climate shocks narrow paths into farming and rural enterprise, increasing the need for skills, decent work and new opportunities.

Sustainable finance can support water security, climate-resilient agriculture and clean energy. Clear risk information, responsible conduct and outcome measures help institutions assess options and set priorities.

Climate prioritiesUnderstand risks and opportunities
Responsible conductProtect workers, communities and nature
Institutional systemsBring ESG into everyday decisions
Credible resultsMeasure progress and explain limitations

From sustainability commitments to lasting progress.

What we do

Connected expertise.
Practical solutions.

Our seven service areas connect institutional priorities with systems, skills and measurable outcomes. Each engagement is tailored to the decisions and delivery challenges facing your team.

01

ESG & responsible business

Make sustainability part of institutional decisions

Practical strategies, policies, ESMS tools and due diligence that fit governance, credit workflows and business operations.

Areas of support
ESG integrationESMSResponsible conduct
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02

Climate & project design

Turn climate priorities into workable plans

Climate risk reviews, adaptation plans and project concepts, supported by market insight, stakeholder engagement and COP32 readiness.

Areas of support
AdaptationProject conceptsCOP32 readiness
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03

Learning, reporting & impact

Build the capability and evidence to deliver

Executive and technical learning, sustainability disclosure processes and results frameworks that support sound decisions and clear reporting.

Areas of support
TrainingIFRS S1/S2 readinessImpact measurement
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Our capabilities

Explore all seven service areas

01

ESG & risk systems

Make environmental and social considerations part of governance, risk and financing decisions.

  • ESG strategy, policy and procedures
  • ESMS design and integration into credit workflows
  • Screening, categorization, due diligence and action plans
  • Governance and staff capability

Typical outputs

ESG policies, ESMS tools and an implementation roadmap.

Discuss this service
02

Climate planning & project design

Help institutions understand climate priorities and prepare practical plans and project concepts.

  • Climate risk and opportunity reviews
  • Adaptation planning and internal action frameworks
  • Climate project concept development
  • Training on sustainable finance processes and requirements

Typical outputs

A climate risk review, adaptation priorities or a project concept note.

Discuss this service
03

Reporting & impact

Collect the evidence that supports management decisions and communicates progress clearly.

  • Sustainability reporting and IFRS S1/S2 readiness
  • ESG data systems and disclosure processes
  • Results frameworks and impact measurement
  • Stakeholder and program reporting

Typical outputs

A reporting roadmap, data collection tools and a results framework.

Discuss this service
04

Training & capability

Help leadership and frontline teams make sound choices with practical learning programs.

  • Executive briefings and technical courses
  • ESG and ESMS for financial institutions
  • Climate risk and sustainability reporting
  • Case-based tools, exercises and coaching

Typical outputs

A tailored learning program, case exercises and practical reference tools.

Discuss this service
05

Responsible business

Support SMEs and value chains with proportionate controls that strengthen resilience and operational readiness.

  • Responsible business conduct assessments
  • Labour, occupational health and safety, governance and environmental practices
  • Supplier and value-chain due diligence
  • ESG readiness action plans

Typical outputs

A responsible business assessment and a prioritized action plan.

Discuss this service
06

Research & partnerships

Build the insight and connections needed to design and deliver effective programs.

  • Market research and diagnostics
  • Concept notes and program design
  • Stakeholder mapping and engagement
  • Knowledge products and partnership materials

Typical outputs

A diagnostic, stakeholder map or partnership concept note.

Discuss this service
07

COP32 readiness

Prepare institutions for meaningful COP32 engagement with clear climate priorities, credible evidence and coordinated communication.

  • Readiness review and action plan
  • Climate action evidence and progress summaries
  • Stakeholder engagement and coordination materials
  • Team briefings and event-ready messaging

Typical outputs

A readiness plan, evidence summary and stakeholder briefing materials.

Discuss this service

The HSF approach

Built to be used.
From idea to evidence.

We start with the decision or delivery challenge, then assemble the right scope, people and evidence around it.

Every engagement should leave your institution better equipped to act.

01

Understand

Identify priorities, risks, opportunities and data gaps. Define the need and the people affected.

02

Design

Build strategies, tools and delivery plans suited to the institution, with safeguards and clear outcomes.

03

Apply

Work alongside teams through training and implementation support. Agree responsibilities and review points.

04

Evidence

Measure, report and communicate results with integrity, including limitations and lessons.

Partnerships

Trusted by

Different mandates.
Shared progress.

Better outcomes take partnership. We work with institutions whose expertise and reach can turn sustainability commitments into practical programs.

Institutional partnersFinance &
developmentESG systems, climate planning, disclosures and capability for institutions advancing sustainable development.Banks & microfinance institutionsDevelopment partnersPublic institutionsNGOs & civil society organizationsExplore an institutional partnership Enterprise partnersBusiness &
value chainsProportionate responsible business support, ESG readiness and credible impact communication.Small & medium enterprisesCorporate teamsCooperativesSuppliers & value chainsExplore a business partnership

Engagements can combine training, research, project design, ESG systems and implementation support according to the needs of each partner.

Our people

Experience that
guides the work.

Perspectives across sustainability, climate finance, responsible business and inclusive opportunity.

Our advisory board brings complementary perspectives to HSF’s sustainability and ESG practice.

Chairwoman

Kalkidan T Derbie

Kalkidan is an ESG, job creation and sustainability consultant. She holds a BA and MSc and is ACCA qualified. Her work connects responsible business practice with inclusive economic opportunity.

Advisory Board Member

Saskia Marijnissen, PhD

Saskia is a senior climate and sustainable development specialist with over 25 years of global experience. Her work spans climate and environmental finance, resilient agrifood systems, nature-positive development, policy and partnerships. She holds a PhD in Natural Sciences.

Patron

Cosmas Milton, PhD

Cosmas brings experience in climate change, food security, natural resource governance and African development policy. He holds a PhD in Development Studies.

Perspectives

Questions worth asking.
Ideas for better decisions.

Short perspectives on the practical questions facing African financial institutions and sustainability teams.

Climate finance13 October 2026 · HSF perspective

What makes a climate project concept credible?

A clear implementation case starts with the people affected, expected changes, costs, risks and evidence.

Read perspective ESG risk13 October 2026 · HSF perspective

Making ESMS proportionate to the lending decision

Identify material risks early and apply controls that fit the transaction and the credit workflow.

Read perspective Reporting13 October 2026 · HSF perspective

From sustainability data to decision-useful disclosure

Build data ownership, consistent methods and an evidence trail before drafting the narrative.

Read perspective

UNDP · Climate resilience

Resilience starts at home.

Reliable climate information helps communities anticipate extreme weather, prepare earlier and protect lives and livelihoods.

Watch the original UNDP post ↗Video credit: UNDP. Source: UNDP Climate on LinkedIn.

Work with HSF

Let’s move your
sustainability
priorities forward.

Tell us about your institution, project or training need. Together, we can shape the next practical step.

Start a conversation
Or email our team directly
info@hsf.et

Work with HSF

Start a useful conversation.

Tell us what you are working on. This form prepares a message in your email app for you to review and send to HSF.

Send the draft from your email app, or email info@hsf.et directly.

Climate finance · HSF perspective

13 October 2026

What makes a climate project concept credible?

A climate idea needs a clear implementation case. Teams need to understand the people affected, expected changes, costs, risks and evidence behind the intended outcomes.

Start with a defined problem and response, then test technical feasibility, demand, delivery partners, safeguards, budget and timeline. Set a few indicators that can be tracked during implementation. This turns an idea into a plan that institutions can assess and improve.

Questions to test before moving forward

  • What climate risk does the concept address, and what evidence supports that need?
  • Who will implement and maintain the intervention, and how will ongoing costs be covered?
  • What safeguards and stakeholder engagement are needed?
  • Which outcomes can the team measure consistently?
Discuss your project →

Photography

Image credits

The photograph of water and livelihoods in Ethiopia is by Fofyfo / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. It has been resized and cropped for the layout; adaptations retain the same license.

The landscape, solar and mangrove imagery follows the supplied FSD Africa visual reference. Images illustrate the themes of the website. People and places shown are not identified as HSF clients or projects.

Video credit: UNDP Climate on LinkedIn.