New website for the Natural Capital Declaration

The Natural Capital Declaration (NCD) has launched its new website

www.naturalcapitaldeclaration.org

A reflection of the energy that has animated this initiative, the new website is rife with information on natural capital and what the NCD initiative sets out to do.

"As support for initiative grows, we needed to increase the NCD's global exposure. A new website was one of the main components of our communications strategy" says Ivo Mulder. "There are now 20 financial institutions who have endorsed the Natural Capital Declaration, so the ball is really rolling."

The NCD is a declaration that will be launched at the Rio+20 Earth Summit by the financial sector, demonstrating its commitment to work towards integrating natural capital considerations into financial products and services.

The NCD is convened by UNEP FI in collaboration with the UK-based Global Canopy Programme, and Brazilian education center Getulio Vargas Foundation. 

More information here.

UNEP FI is now recruiting a new head.

The recruitment of a replacement head for UNEP FI is an open and competitive process.

Candidates with a minimum of ten years of work experience relating to finance, investment, insurance, economics, and environment are encouraged to apply. Eligible and willing candidates are encouraged to submit their candidacy until 23 June 2012.

More information here.

UNEP FI is seeing the tide change as it became a Knowledge Partner of the SSI's Financing Sustainable Shipping work stream in late April. This is great news for UNEP FI and the envisioned Green Economy, with industries becoming increasingly aware of the impact of sustainable financing.

The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) brings together some of the biggest names in the maritime sector to work towards a sustainable future.

Having articulated a 'Case for Action' and a '2040 Vision' of the sector, the SSI is now developing practical work streams, including 'Financing Sustainable Shipping'. This work stream will bring together key stakeholders in finance and shipping to develop new ways of financing sustainable shipping, focusing on overcoming the problem of split incentives.

More information soon.

The UNEP FI Postion Paper on Rio+20 makes a clear statement to Rio+20 country delegates on the role of the financial sector in achieving sustainable development. It offers a set of recommendations on how the international community and policy-makers can further enable and incentivise sustainable finance at Rio+20. The paper states that UNEP FI members share a common vision that sustainable development can only be achieved if the international community takes the necessary measures to reorient itself towards a more balanced, inclusive and green economy, and that this can only be achieved with a stable and sustainable financial sector as its backbone.

Full download here.

UNEP FI on road to Rio+20

All eyes turn to the milestone United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20, this June.

UNEP FI will be a party to Rio as well, with a series of events under preparation.

15-18 June, Windsor Barra Hotel, Rio de Janeiro: Organized by the UN Global Compact in partnership with UNEP, the Corporate Sustainability Forum is the official private sector platform of Rio+20. 

UNEP FI will hold two sessions during the Forum:

17 June: "Green Gold: Financing the way forward" will offer insights on how banks, insurers and investors support green business, technologies and industry and the transition to a green economy. The session will be underpinned by the finance chapter of UNEP's Green Economy Report.

17 June: "From 1992 to 2012: Twenty years of sustainability mainstreaming in the financial sector" will highlight progress and trends in embedding sustainability issues into financial institutions' daily business strategies and operations. It will assess the last 20 years and evaluate challenges going forward.

Furthemore, on 16 June, UNEP FI will co-convene, with UNEP and the Global Compact, a series of discussions on mobilizing private finance for the up-scaled deployment of sustainable energy technologies, with a focus on developing countries. The context for this discussion is the current International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.

Launch of the Natural Capital Declaration

16 June at 2:00 pm at the Corporate Sustainability Forum 

Launch of the Natural Capital Declaration: Perspectives from CEO's of financial institutions.

18 June at 5:15 pm at the Rio Pavilion

Natural Capital Declaration: Methodologies to account for natural capital.

20 June at 12:00 pm at the Rio Centro

Natural Capital Summit.

More information here.

Next courses: 14 May to 1 June (English) 

                     11-29 June (Spanish)

                      8-26 October (French)

Register now for the Environmental and Social Risk Analysis (ESRA) Online Course! 

This course is an interactive educational experience that runs over a three-week period. It 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 and registration here.

Next course: 11 to 29 June (Spanish)

Energy Efficiency Financing in Buildings Online Course. Register now!

The objective of this training course is to promote the transition towards a low-carbon economy through the financing and investment in energy efficiency projects, especially in the sector of property.

More information and registration here.

Next course: 15 October to 5 November (English)

Climate Change: Risks and Opportunities for the Finance Sector Online Course. Register now!

The Online Course on "Climate Change: Risks and Opportunities for the Finance Sector" provides participants with a fundamental understanding of the science behind climate change and the structure of the international climate change regime. Furthermore, this course aims to educate participants on how financial markets-across the banking, investment, and insurance sectors-can cope with the resulting risks of climate change, and seize the potential opportunities.

More information and registration here.

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Chartered in 1865, Sun Life Financial and its partners today have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China and Bermuda.

SulAmerica is a major Brazilian insurance company. It currently counts 6.7 million clients and has been in the insurance business for 116 years. The company was founded by Dutch financial group ING. 

Santam bags Climate Change award

Santam, Africa's largest non-life insurer and a member of UNEP FI, won the 2012 Climate Change Leadership Award under the financial services category in April.

Santam won the award due to the research study, Insurance in a Changing Risk Landscape: Local lessons from the Southern Cape of South Africa, said the jury. The study emerged from a research partnership between the Santam Group, WWF, University of Cape Town and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, and was produced in collaboration with UNEP FI.

More information here.

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