In Bangladesh's rural heartlands, which are prone to flooding, a silent revolution is underway: mobile fintech platforms are becoming key channels for climate-driven investments. Villagers are rapidly adopting digital wallets and micro-lending programmes to pay for solar household systems and climate-resilient farming equipment, bypassing traditional banks and turning challenges into opportunities.
The Bangladesh Fintech Innovation Council (BFIC), a national platform promoting fintech growth, calls climate-aligned digital finance an "emerging force" in the country's green economy. Also, the Bangladesh Bank's sustainable finance guidelines have accelerated this shift by mandating that at least 5.0 per cent of loan portfolios go to green projects and 15 per cent to environmentally beneficial initiatives.
Major fintech players like bKash, Nagad, Rocket, and Upay now facilitate payments for solar panels, eco-friendly cookstoves, flexible installment plans, and climate-focused micro-insurance. Many collaborate with microfinance organisations such as ASA and BRAC to provide weather-indexed insurance, underwriting, and payment schemes. Youth environmental organisations like Earth's Ants are also linking these financial tools to grassroots sustainability projects, raising awareness of digital finance for clean energy, waste reduction and climate resilience. The BFIC notes that such partnerships "shorten the last mile" in delivering climate finance by integrating payments and loans into a single digital platform.
Programmes supported by Grameen Shakti and financed through IDCOL have installed over a million solar home systems, achieving repayment rates of around 96 per cent. These systems provide electricity for small enterprises, mobile charging, and home illumination, helping communities cope with climate impacts while generating economic opportunities.
The Bangladesh Bank's green refinance schemes offer low-cost capital for renewable energy and clean-tech projects, from solar irrigation pumps to biomass systems. The BFIC adds: "We don't have enough money flowing into renewable energy. Government and businesses must collaborate to make loans cheaper and safer and cut taxes on green tech to accelerate growth." Organisations like the Earth's Ants underscores the need for pairing finance with environmental education so that rural adopters can have access technology and understand its climate benefits.
Despite progress, gaps remain in financial literacy, particularly in rural and disaster-prone areas. Experts warn that without robust cybersecurity, regulatory harmonisation, and project verification, momentum could slow. As more international funders and investors embrace decentralised, tech-enabled climate solutions, Bangladesh's fintech sector is poised to lead community-based green finance. For a country on the climate frontlines, digital finance is rapidly becoming a key lever for building climate resilient communities.
Md. Mirajul Islam
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Earth's Ants
