Months before the UN climate change negotiations, the Head of UNEP Finance Initiative Paul Clements-Hunt visits China to engage policy makers and financial institutions
Mr. Paul Clements-Hunt, Head of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and Ms Wei Peng, UNEP FI Asia Task Force Coordinator, are visiting China in early September this year. Months before the UN climate change negotiations they will take the opportunity to engage senior policy officials and leading financial institutions with the view of discussing China's vision of its 'green finance' future.
Interested media representatives are invited to get in touch for interviews with Paul Clements-Hunt, whose schedule in China is the following:
1 - 5, Sept, Beijing
6 Sept, Shanghai
7 - 9 Sept, Xia Men
Previously this year, in an interview with Southern Weekend, Clements-Hunt emphasized the historic responsibility that financial institutions have in supporting a development model, which was often not particularly 'green'. Nevertheless, he highlighted a clear trend over the last 3-4 years with a genuine, growing interest in sustainable finance, which goes beyond public relations. Clements-Hunt pointed out that sustainable finance is becoming an increasing "investment hotspot", and added that the sustainable finance industry will reach 1.5 trillion by 2020. The sustainable finance agenda has gained both in breadth and depth, and has shifted from a strong emphasis only on building tomorrow's low-carbon economy, to a more all-embracing view, which encompasses infrastructure, water supply, waste disposal and transportation, among other. This implies a need to rethink the relationship between financial services and bank customers. The Chinese government leadership is clearly providing strong signals to the financial community that will affect how banks, insurers and investment companies conduct their daily business.
Mr. Clements-Hunt and Ms. Peng are visiting China with the conviction that the forthcoming carbon tax, as well as the leadership's emphasis on carbon as a 'strategic asset', will help galvanize the country's financial community and, although a challenging journey, will see China onto a path of sustainable finance.
Media Contact:
Ms Iveta Cherneva
Communications
United Nations Environment Programme - Finance Initiative
International Environment House
Office D-512
15 chemin des Anemones
CH-1219 Chatelaine
Geneva, Switzerland
+ 41 (0) 22 917 8375
iveta.cherneva@unep.org
www.unepfi.org
About UNEP Finance Initiative
The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is a global public private partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the financial sector. Close to 200 institutions, including banks, insurers, fund managers and investors, work with UNEP to understand the impacts of environmental and social considerations on financial performance.
Paul Clements-Hunt has been the Head of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) since November 2000. UNEP FI, based in Geneva, is the largest partnership between the United Nations and the financial services sector, counting close to 200 banks, insurance companies and investment firms as members. UNEP FI was instrumental in the 2004-06 development and launch of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The PRI is now backed by over 570 institutional investors representing more than USD 18 trillion in assets under management. Clements-Hunt was one of the two lead United Nations representatives throughout the PRI negotiations in 2005-06 and sits as the UNEP representative on the PRI Board.
In 2007, he was invited to join the Financial Times Sustainability Banking Awards panel of judges and the United Nations special climate change panel on finance and investment. Clements-Hunt is a Board Member of Sustainable Finance Geneva, a network of professional finance executives committed to pushing forward sustainability practice in the Swiss financial services sector.
Prior to joining the United Nations, Clements-Hunt spent 1998-2000 representing the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, directing the organisation's policy work in energy, environment and sustainable development. From 1991 to 1998, Clements-Hunt was based in Bangkok, Thailand, where he founded the country's first environmental strategy consultancy which developed projects throughout Southeast Asia. In 1994, he took the idea for an Asia-Pacific-wide environmental strategy service to the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification company, Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS). He developed the business for the SGS Group as the SGS-Environmental Information Unit.
For over 17 years, Clements-Hunt has presented and lectured internationally on sustainable finance and responsible investment issues. Clements-Hunt graduated with a BA degree in Economics from the University of East Anglia, and completed post-graduate studies in journalism at University College, Cardiff.
