| Financial world to gather at agenda-setting Global Roundtable, 19-20 October, Washington D.C. |
UNEP FI conveys you to its 2011 Global Roundtable this coming October to join a global group of 600 participants and 70 speakers representing in excess of 30 countries and 120 organisations for a series of high-level debates on financial stability and sustainability.
With some of the most significant industry leaders and policy-makers calling present, the UNEP FI Global Roundtable is poised to become an essential agenda-setting event in the run-up to upcoming climate change talks in Durban, South Africa, and the June 2012 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro.
Among the more than 70 speakers confirming their participation in July are the US National Association of Insurance Commissioners Chief Executive Officer, Dr Terri Vaughan; The Nature Conservancy President and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Tercek; China Merchants Bank's President, Weihua Ma; and State Street Global Advisors' Global Chief Investment Officer, Rick Lacaille.
Other distinguished speakers to take the stage include former UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown; financial pundit and author of The Black Swan, Nassim Taleb; and Research in Motion's CEO, James Balsillie.
Register before 1 August and profit from early bird rates! More information and registration here.
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UNEP FI and FELABAN take first step to mainstream sustainability in Latin America
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 UNEP FI and the Latin American Federation of Banks, FELABAN, are kick starting their recently agreed partnership in August by undertaking a pan-regional study on banking sustainability - the most important effort ever undertaken in the region.
The wide-ranging study, to be finalized in June 2012, will survey activities and trends with regards to sustainability among Latin American banks. Last month, FELABAN and UNEP FI unveiled a first-of-its-kind partnership to improve the financial sustainability record across the region. Through its member associations in 19 countries across the Latin American continent, FELABAN represents over 500 banks and financial institutions. More information here. |
| UNEP FI promotes sustainable banking in China's inner Mongolia |
UNEP FI joined hands with the People's Bank of China's Hohhot Branch, the Financial Office of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional People's Government, and GIZ in mid-July to hold a one-day seminar on green finance in Inner Mongolia, China.
Over 80 representatives from local commercial banks, local branches of the Central Bank, Banking Regulatory Bureau, and environmental agencies attended this event. Throughout the day, participants were briefed on international sustainable finance trends, sustainability risks and opportunities, specific environmental and social risks in the mining sector, etc.
A peer experience-sharing session was also part of the agenda, where colleagues from environmental protection agency in He Bei Province of China, shared their experience in promoting Green Credit Policy implementation among the banking institutions in their province.
A series of training workshops on Environmental and Social Risk Management will be initiated in China from September onwards. More information on training here.
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North America hosts UNEP FI Principles for Sustainable Insurance consultation
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North America took its turn to deliberate on the UNEP FI Principles for Sustainable Insurance in June, convening industry leaders from Bermuda, Canada and the United States. The two-day event was hosted by Canadian insurer, The Co-operators, in Guelph, Canada.
The Co-operators' CEO, Kathy Bardswick, engaged with other CEOs and senior executives from insurers in the region, as well as industry bodies and stakeholders such as the US National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Autorité des marchés financiers, Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers, Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, Canadian Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, Insurance Bureau of Canada, International Finance Corporation, National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, Oxfam, WWF, The Natural Step, and Temple University.
Through a pioneering consultation process spanning all regional insurance markets, the principles have been obtaining invaluable input and buy-in, enhancing their robustness and global legitimacy. For example, the principles were on the agenda of the recent meeting in Athens, Greece, of the International Network of Insurance Associations, the umbrella of national and regional insurance associations worldwide. More information here.
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| UNEP FI now on Twitter | |
Follow us on Twitter and be the first to find out about new reports and publications, and receive regular sustainability updates from our members.
UNEP FI's Twitter feed can be found at http://twitter.com/#!/UNEP_FI or simply by searching for @UNEP_FI on Twitter.
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REDDy for Durban with forest-carbon markets webinar, 13 September
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UNEP FI is pleased to invite you to tune in to an online discussion with leading financial and government representatives on the occasion of the launch of a landmark UNEP FI report on forest-carbon market regulations. Launched just a few months ahead of a round of international climate change negotiations in Durban, South Africa, REDDy-Set-Grow: Part II - Recommendations for international climate change negotiators aims to provide policy-makers with guidance for an international agreement on forests that would stimulate the mobilisation of private funds. Particular attention is given to the Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries mechanism, or REDD+, currently in the works at the UNFCCC. Confirmed speakers include Heru Prasetyo, Secretary of the Indonesian REDD Task Force; Andrew Mitchell, Founder and Director of Global Canopy Program; and Abyd Karmali, Managing Director and Global Head of Carbon Emissions, Merrill Lynch. The webinar launch is open to all. Guests are invited to attend the first session on Monday, 13 September, at 9:00 am (GMT), or the second one at 4:00 pm (GMT).
More information and registration here.
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First Nigeria Sustainable Finance Week convenes sustainability champions,
7-9 September
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UNEP FI, in partnership with Access Bank Plc, FMO and a host of international development finance institutions, welcomes you to join members of the financial community and the United Nations this September for a series of high-level meetings at the pioneering Nigeria Sustainable Finance Week.
Financial sector participants, joined by government and civil society delegates from across Nigeria, are invited to partake in the first edition of this unique event.
Under the theme "Moving Frontiers - Sustainable Finance", the conference will offer participants with unique insights on ideas, opportunities and upcoming challenges in the fields of finance and sustainability.
Participants can attend all public sessions or choose to attend only specific sessions of interest to them over the course of the Nigeria Sustainable Finance Week.
More information and registration here.
 
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Workshops on water and biodiversity risks, 21 October, Washington D.C.
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UNEP FI and its partners are pleased to invite bankers and investors to attend two half-day training workshops on the sidelines of its flagship 2011 Global Roundtable event this coming October.
A first workshop, "Mastering Water Risks for Banks and Investors in a Changing Climate," aims to raise awareness and build capacity for banks to identify and manage water risks related to lending in water scarce areas and/or water-intensive sectors.
"Banking for Biodiversity," meanwhile, aims to raise the awareness of the banking sector on biodiversity and ecosystem service risks by identifying and manage such risks in project finance, corporate loans and investments.
Workshops will take place at World Bank's headquarters in Washington D.C. on 21 October. More information and registration here.
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 Ecuadorian banking giant Banco Pichincha signs UNEP FI principles | |
Ecuador's largest private bank Banco Pichincha joined the UNEP FI family in July in yet another demonstration of the growing role Latin America is taking in relation to matters of global sustainability.
"It is important to us to meet our business goals, but the way we do this is even more important. That is to say, our growth is not only characterized by a sense of sustainability, but also one of responsibility towards society and the environment," said Banco Pichincha's CEO Fernando Pozo.
With 105 years of existence and a client base that has grown to 2.2 million customers in Ecuador and other parts of the world, Banco Pichincha is Ecuador's most important private banking institution, and the only Ecuadorian bank with a presence abroad.
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Early bird fees for Impact Investing 2011 conference, 30 September
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With some experts predicting a ten-fold increase in impact investments to $500 billion by 2014 (1 per cent of all managed assets), Impact Investing 2011 will analyse and debate the most effective ways for investors to generate environmental, social and financial returns.
Register by 25 August to benefit from the early bird rate and to be eligible for a free webinar.
UNEP FI is a Supporting Organisation of this event. More information here.
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IFC launches web portal on environmental and social performance
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 The International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, launched, in July, a new web portal aimed at advancing the environmental and social performance of financial intermediaries in emerging markets.
The portal, Financial Institutions, Resources, Solutions and Tools for Sustainability or "FIRST for Sustainability," will serve as a global resource on environmental and social risk management, environmental business opportunities, and sustainability-related tools and information developed by IFC and other development finance institutions.
Accessed the "FIRST for Sustainability" portal at www.firstforsustainability.org. |
| Discounted registration for UNEP FI members for U of Cambridge sustainability leadership seminars | |
 The University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership invites UNEP FI members to join the debate with other global thinkers at its upcoming its Business & Sustainability Programme and its Climate Leadership Programme this coming October and November.
UNEP FI members will receive a 10% discount on the programme fee. More information here.
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Upcoming training
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French:
3 - 21 October
The Environmental and Social Risk Analysis (ESRA) Online Course runs interactively over a three-week period and is intended specifically for risk managers and analysts in commercial, corporate, investment and retail banking in or dealing with developing countries and emerging markets.
More information here.
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Spanish:
3 - 21 October
The Energy Efficiency Financing in Buildings Online Course aims to promote the transition towards a low-carbon economy by sharing knowledge with lenders on ways to develop financial products and services geared towards the financing and investment of energy efficiency projects, specifically in the building sector.
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