In closing this Earth Day week, I thought I’d rectify yesterday’s depressing news about banks funding the end of our planet to talk about the banks that are doing the opposite.
In fact, there are many initiatives that are trying to create finance for good from community currencies to Long Finance. These are also themes explored often at the Financial Services Club (FSC) and Nordic Finance Innovation (NFI), which I chair.
The next FSC meeting on the subject will be on July 31, which is a Long Finance focused meeting discussing how distributed ledger technology can help make world trade better, whilst our NFI meetings on May 28 and 29 in Helsinki and Copenhagen are dedicated to the subject of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Banking.
I blogged about the Principles for Responsible Banking in December. Founded by 28 banks, (including Barclays?!?!?), it’s now supported by over 200 financial institutions worldwide, including many of the major names you would expect to see.
The Principles set out what it means to be a responsible bank and provide the first global framework of sustainability across all business areas of a bank. The UN also publish a range of interesting reports about how finance can encourage sustainability with a few recent ones picked out for your delectation:
Principles for Responsible Banking – Consultation Version
The Principles for Responsible Banking provide the much-needed framework for the sustainable banking system of the future – and enable the banking industry to demonstrate how it makes a positive contribution to society. They are designed to guide any bank – whatever its starting point – to align its business strategy with society’s goals. Developed […]
Global ESG Real Estate Investment Survey Results
In late 2018, a global survey was conducted to better understand how the attitudes, strategies, and practices of real estate investors, and fund and asset managers are incorporating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria, and the degree to which they may need to strengthen their commitments so that their portfolios are aligned with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. More than […]
Positive Impact Real Estate Investment Framework
The UNEP FI Property Working Group, in collaboration with RICS, PRI, and members of the Global Investor Coalition on Climate Change, have produced a practical, action-oriented framework to accelerate a new financing paradigm for the delivery of the global SDGs. The 25 leading institutional investors and asset managers of the UNEP FI Property Working Group […]
Integrating Natural Capital in Risk Assessments
The report, ‘Integrating Natural Capital in Risk Assessments’ is a step-by-step guide to help financial institutions conduct a rapid natural capital risk assessment. The guide has already been piloted by five banks and complements the recently launched ENCORE tool (Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure), which enables financial institutions to understand and assess their exposure to natural capital risks. The guide helps banks […]
The world’s first comprehensive tool linking environmental change with its consequences for the economy has been launched by the Natural Capital Finance Alliance (NCFA). The web-based tool, called ENCORE (Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure), will help global banks, investors and insurance firms assess the risks that environmental degradation, such as the pollution of oceans or destruction of […]
Aligning investors with sustainable finance: a focus on the OECD
UNEP FI, the PRI and The Generation Foundation have published a report focusing on the policy work of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on sustainable finance and investment. This briefing makes recommendations to the OECD to align policy work on the financial sector with globally agreed sustainable development objectives, such as the […]
Rethinking Impact to Finance the SDGs: A Position Paper and Call to Action
In Rethinking Impact to Finance the SDGs, we explore new ways to significantly decrease the cost of achieving the SDGs and stimulate business and financing solutions at scale. Social, economic and environmental impacts have an as-yet under explored potential to generate financial revenues: impact-based business models can be developed, with the delivery of positive impacts […]
The Impact Radar aims to offer a credible and comprehensive set of impact categories that can be integrated with the tools developed to deliver PI finance and contribute to a common frame for the assessment of PI products in the industry. The radar captures the core elements of the SDGs in a way that is […]
Model Framework for Financial Products for Corporates with unspecified use of funds
This Model Framework covers Financial Products for Corporates with unspecified use of funds, i.e. where the funds raised or guarantees issued are used at the Corporate’s discretion, without any specified use. For example: General corporate purpose (GCP) Loans/Overdraft, Corporate Bonds with GCP use of proceeds, Equity (primary & secondary issuance), Off-balance sheet corporate products (e.g. […]
Model Framework for specified use of proceeds
This Positive Impact Initiative Model Framework covers Financial Products where the funds raised or guarantees issued are used for a specific purpose, in this case Project-related finance within the scope of the Equator Principles. For example: project finance transactions, Project-related corporate loans, bridge loans to project finance, project-related transactions supported by Export Credit Agencies (Products […]
UNEP FI Overview January 2017 – June 2018
UNEP FI’s Annual Overview provides a summary of our work during 2017 and the first half of 2018. Read about key initiatives and events across banking, insurance and investment, and explore how your organisation can get involved with UNEP FI’s work. Download here.
A Journey towards a sustainable financial system: Luxembourg Sustainable Finance Roadmap
The aim of this Roadmap is to set a vision and lay the groundwork to establish a comprehensive and far-reaching sustainable finance strategy contributing to the Agenda 2030 and towards the objectives of the Paris Agreement. This Roadmap is ambitious in terms of Luxembourg’s contributions to sustainable development and climate action, it is forward looking […]
How securities regulators can support the Sustainable Development Goals, A sharing of experiences
Developed by a working group of nearly 70 capital market stakeholders, chaired by the Financial Regulatory Authority of Egypt, this report on securities regulation shares experiences and outlines an action plan for regulators wishing to support the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more about Securities Regulators and Sustainable Development here. Download the full report here. About the […]
Chris M Skinner
Chris Skinner is best known as an independent commentator on the financial markets through his blog, TheFinanser.com, as author of the bestselling book Digital Bank, and Chair of the European networking forum the Financial Services Club. He has been voted one of the most influential people in banking by The Financial Brand (as well as one of the best blogs), a FinTech Titan (Next Bank), one of the Fintech Leaders you need to follow (City AM, Deluxe and Jax Finance), as well as one of the Top 40 most influential people in financial technology by the Wall Street Journal's Financial News. To learn more click here...
