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UNEP Finance Initiative Newsletter

September 2011
HighlightTHE HIGHLIGHT
13th Global Roundtable fast arriving, Washington, D.C., 19-20 October

Join over 100 speakers and 600+ participants for a one-of-a-kind summit in Washington, D.C., on 19-20 October. Gain valuable insight into the emerging financial sustainability sector's most pressing issues.

Global Roundtable speaker Terry Vaughan

Global Roundtable speaker Terry Vaughan

Aimed at bridging the gap between financial sector and policy-makers, the UNEP FI 13th Global Roundtable proposes a total of 16 sessions, including:

Sustained Stability in the Next Economy: Hear Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister, and Nassim Taleb, author of The Black Swan debate their views on financial stability, systemic risk and sustainability.

Climate Ambition - Geo-politics, competitiveness and growth: Know the views of the financial institutions on "Policy action on climate change" versus "jobs and competitiveness."

Changing risk, Risking Change: Discover why and how the UNEP FI Principles for Sustainable Insurance can reduce long-term and systemic risks, and achieve a resource efficient, low-carbon, and sustainable global economy.

Global Roundtable speaker Rick Lacaille
Global Roundtable speaker Rick Lacaille

REDDy - Set - Grow - The race for forest-carbon markets: Explore investment opportunities and risks in the emerging forest-carbon market.  

 

Register now!

 

More information here.

Global Roundtable logo

Recent_EventsUNEP FI NEWS
Anchor3UNEP FI Principles for Sustainable Insurance consultation sails to Oceania

Oceania hosted the fourth of seven United Nations-convened regional consultation meetings that make up a global process to develop ground-breaking sustainability principles for the insurance industry. 

 

The meeting, taking place from 11 to 12 August in Auckland, was convened by UNEP FI and the global financial sector, and was hosted by Sovereign, New Zealand's largest life insurer.

 

Once finalised, the UNEP FI Principles for Sustainable Insurance will serve as the global framework for insurance companies to better manage environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities in their core business strategies and operations.

 

The principles will include concrete actions to enhance risk management and underwriting practices, stimulate innovative insurance solutions, and catalyse industry action on a wide range of sustainability issues such as natural catastrophe risks, climate change and extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, ageing populations, emerging health risks and pandemics, human rights and labour standards, and social and financial inclusion.

 

"It's an ambitious goal, but it's an achievable goal-and a necessary one," said Charles Anderson, CEO of Sovereign. "To be successful, the Principles for Sustainable Insurance must be embedded into our everyday business, industry-wide. This meeting is not about talk; it's about commitment."

 

More information here.
Upcoming_UNEPFI_EventsUPCOMING UNEP FI EVENTS

REDDy for Durban with forest-carbon markets webinar, 13 September


UNEP FI invites you to join an online discussion with leading financial and government representatives to mark the launch of a landmark UNEP FI report on forest-carbon market regulations.

 

Launched ahead of international climate change negotiations in Durban, South Africa later this year, REDDy-Set-Grow: Part II - Recommendations for international climate change negotiators provides policy-makers and negotiators with recommendations for features of an international climate change agreement on forests that will effectively mobilise private finance flows.

In conjunction with this report, UNEP FI is pleased to host an open and critical debate to explore the key issues surrounding the financing of any future REDD+ agreement from the perspectives of the different stakeholders involved - developed and developing country governments, civil society and the private sector.  

 

Confirmed speakers include:   

  • Andreas Dahl-J�rgensen, International Climate and Forest Initiative, Ministry of Environment, Norway  
  • Stephen Cornelius, Head of Forests and Land-use Negotiations, Department of Energy and Climate Change, UK  
  • Lorena Falconi, Director of Mitigation to Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Ecuador
  • Andrew Mitchell, Founder and Director of Global Canopy Program
  • Abyd Karmali, Managing Director and Global Head of Carbon Emissions, Merrill Lynch
  • Christian del Valle, Director of Environmental Markets, BNP Paribas.

 

To allow full international participation, two webinars will be held on Tuesday, 13 September: 10:00 am (CET) and 05:00 pm (CET)


More information and registration here.

Forest

Our_MembersOUR MEMBERS
Anchor4UNEP FI solidifies partnership with US investors with new member
  

UNEP FI's most recent work stream, the investment commission, gained a new member in August as the United State's oldest and largest independent advisor exclusively devoted to socially responsible investing, Trillium Asset Management, LLC, joined the partnership's ranks.

 

With the effects of the financial crisis still felt across the world,  

Trillium's membership came at a fitting time argued Trillium's CEO Matthew Patsky.

 

"Joining the UNEP FI family now is imperative as the financial community looks to re-establish a sound footing in the wake of the financial crisis," he added.

 

Trillium has been at the forefront of the social investment sector both in the US and worldwide since its founding in 1982. It now manages close to $1 billion in assets.

 

"We hope that many more U.S. based financial institutions follow our lead," said Patsky. More information here.    


Events_by_PartnersEVENTS BY PARTNERS

UNEP FI supports Impact Investing 2011 in London, 30 September

 

A new phrase impact investing  has swept into the lexicon of sustainable development in the past year. The growth potential is enormous, advocates claim, with the Global Impact Investing Network forecasting a market worth $500 billion by 2014, up from just $50 billion last year.  

 

Attend Impact Investing 2011 to understand what impact investing is, how to penetrate this market, where the highest returns are to be found and how to manage the major risks. 

 

More information here. 

Impact_logo

Contact us

For further information, contact communications [at] unepfi.org.
    

In this issue

 

The highlight

UNEP FI news

 

Upcoming UNEP FI events

Our members

Events by partners

Latest publications

 

Sustainable Insight_large cover

 Sustainable Insight - The nature of ecosystem service risks for business

 

 

Metrics report cover

An Investor's Perspective on Environmental Metrics for Property

UNEP FI in the news

 

Upcoming training

  

Spanish:

3 - 21 October

 

The Energy Efficiency Financing in Buildings Online Course aims to promote the transition towards a low-carbon economy, by showing lenders how they can develop green financial products/services geared towards the financing and investment of energy efficiency projects, specifically in buildings.

 

More information here
 

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French: 

3 - 21 October

  

Spanish: 

31 October - 18 November

 

English:
7 - 25 November

 

 
The Environmental and Social Risk Analysis (ESRA) Online Course is specifically designed for banks based or operating in emerging and developing countries and runs interactively over a three-week period. It aims to assist risk and credit managers in the identification, analysis and management of environmental and social risks generated through lending and investment activities.   

More information here.   

 

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English:
7 - 25 November

  

 The Climate Change: Risks and Opportunities for the Finance Sector Online Course aims to equip financial institution executives and stakeholders with fundamental knowledge on a variety of aspects at the interface of private finance, climate change, and climate regulation, as well as to provide support for the development of effective responses.  

 

More information here. 

What they've said...

Job vacancy

Consultant - "Climate Change: Risks and Opportunities for the Finance Sector" Online Course.

 

The Consultant will be responsible for moderating and tutoring the third week of the course.

 

More information here.  

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