North American Development Bank 25th Anniversary Event

The North American Development Bank (NADB) was created in 1994 by the Governments of the United States and Mexico to finance the development and implementation of infrastructure projects and to provide technical and other assistance for projects that preserve, protect, or enhance the environment in both countries. Through its programs and services, NADB assists border communities to advance, protect, and preserve their well-being and development. 

The Mexico Institute and the North American Development Bank hosted an event commemorating the 25th anniversary of NADB during speakers addressed the importance of development in the region, as well as pathways for future expansion of the Bank's scope. 

Selected Quotes

Senator John Cornyn

"As we all know, over the last 25 years, the bank has made critical investments in our border communities, everything from new solar plants and wind farms to water treatment facilities and sewer lines. The bank has driven investments that improve air quality and water quality and helped build a healthier, safer and more vibrant border communities along our southern border. In April, I was prou d to join you for the unveiling of one of those projects—Webb County's new solar farm. Folks outside of Texas often think we are against any kind of energy that isn’t oil and gas— a narrative that we all know is patently false. Indeed we are an all the above economy. I am a strong supporter of that “all of the above” energy strategy—one that relies on traditional fossil fuels as well as renewables, and champions innovation to reduce emissions. There's no question in my mind that NAD Bank is doing incredible work to bring that innovation to our border communities." 

VIEW CLIP

“The [North American Development] Bank has made critical investments in our border communities, everything from new solar plants and wind farms to water treatment facilities and sewer lines. The Bank has driven investments that have improved air quality and water quality, and helped build healthier, safer, and more vibrant border communities along our southern border.” 

Geronimo Gutierrez

"I think that the Bank has four things that make it quite unique—one is that it's truly a bi-national institution, one of the very few truly by national institutions. All of the staff at the Bank put on their, sort of, their T-Shirt of the binational institution and they work truly, in an objective matter, for the benefit of the United States and Mexico. The second thing is that the Bank, it's one of the few institutions that actually makes money for the taxpayers on both sides, right, and I think that's very relevant. I mean, the capital that the governments have invested into the institution has actually made money for them, which is not always the case in government. The third thing is that it has, I think, evolved. It's like good wine, it gets better with time. And I think it has evolved very positively over the last 25 years, and, and finally, it's truly a border institution. There have been, throughout these past 25 years, discussions on whether it should extend farther or not. I think that's a discussion that we could have in maybe another 25 years, but I think that the opportunities and the challenges that we face in the border region, calls on the institution to be truly a border organization."

VIEW CLIP

“The border region has huge potential for renewables, and I think that that’s an area in which both governments can use the Bank as a point of encounter and continue to be extremely important.” 

Rep. Henry Cuellar

“There’s a lot of work we need to do at the border, it’s not only the border infrastructure, the wall stuff, but what [the NADBank has] done for so many years on both sides of the border."

Calixto Mateos 

"In terms of the future for the bank, as I was saying, we're involved in these….sustainable food chains….. energy storage. I mean, as part of the complement of having renewable energy, we need…. both countries, need to invest in energy storage. That will increase the reliability of the of the grid, and that will make more effective the production of renewable energy."

VIEW CLIP

“We… want, with the new capital, to become a key promoter of sustainable growth by supporting the integration of green value change and transitioning to a greener economy in the context of the USMCA in the border region.”