The banking and finance sector can play a driving role in mobilizing, investing and directing capital toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and towards climate outcomes. To support the banking sector in aligning with these objectives, the Principles for Responsible Banking provide a framework to support banks in aligning their strategies with the SDGs and Paris Agreement. Today, the principles have been signed on by over 270 banks, representing over 45 per cent of banking assets worldwide.
To further assist the shift of the banking sector towards sustainable outcomes, a collective of agencies comprised of the Association of Development Finance Institutions in Asia and Pacific (ADFIAP), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) today launched the Finance Flows' Sustainable Banking Academy.
The Finance Flows' Sustainable Banking Academy is comprised of five modules which include:
- Aligning financial flows with sustainable development goals
- Incorporating sustainability into banks' governance and culture
- Measuring and managing E&S impacts and risks
- Engaging customers, clients and stakeholders to develop sustainable financial products
- Sustainability reporting: A critical tool for enhancing corporate transparency and accountability
The Academy is based on a series of sustainable finance webinars for Southeast Asian bankers held between October 2020 and January 2021 by the Finance Flows' partnership collective. Each webinar was designed to highlight one of the core principles of the Principles for Responsible Banking. The Academy's e-learning course content includes 5 to 10 hours of self-paced and tailored content for Southeast Asian banking sector professionals. Banking professionals will receive a certificate of completion upon passing a short exam at the end of each course.
The Finance Flows' partnership collective aims to support a system-wide adoption of sustainable finance throughout the private banking sector. The e-learning courses are designed to mobilize and equip the banking community to align their practices with sustainable outcomes.
Are you working in the banking sector and interested in building your sustainable finance skills? Explore the Academy here.
