Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI)

Yesterday's Festive Fireside was a great way to wrap up 2024! Thanks again to Graham Burnside, Lauran Halpin, Amanda Young, and Euan McVicar for sharing their valuable insights, and to everyone who attended and contributed actively. You can read our high-level write-up of the session here: https://lnkd.in/gHwwbKXE And in the spirit of the fireside's ‘Christmas Carol’ format, you can also check out: ★ GEFI's end-of-year wrap-up https://lnkd.in/g4D4Svxa ★ NatWest Markets Plc’s “year ahead” summary https://lnkd.in/gu-G3XPj

Today we were joined by members of Edinburgh's sustainable finance ecosystem for a Festive Fireside to wrap up 2024 and unwrap 2025! Following an insightful market update from Lauran Halpin, Head of Impact Equities, Martin Currie, GEFI's Graham Burnside moderated an engaging and interactive discussion with Euan McVicar, Chair, Crown Estate Scotland and Amanda Young, Senior Advisor, GEFI, exploring the themes of policy, regulation, and the transition. We will share a write-up of the discussion shortly.

7 months after our first Asset TV episode that kick-started the GEFI Insights Series, Amy Clarke, Tribe Impact Capital, returned to moderate a climate/nature nexus review with knowledge partner's Richard Folland, Carbon Tracker Initiative and Arianna Manili, Planet Tracker. ► Richard reflected on whether 2024 lived up to its promise as the year for international climate finance. ► Arianna summarised key developments and challenges in nature finance, spotlighting what has been achieved and where gaps remain. ► In their closing thoughts, Arianna and Richard shared concise insights on what the year ahead could hold for climate and nature finance. Watch now: https://lnkd.in/e6mf8hzY

On 5th December, the third and final ESG Majlis of 2024 took place in partnership with PwC Middle East, focusing on the critical theme: “Building Economic Resilience: The Financial Imperatives of Nature and Land Conservation.” The dynamic session was expertly moderated by our Chair, Dame Susan Rice DBE, and featured insightful contributions from Amal Larhlid امال لغليض, PwC Middle East, and Marina Antonopoulou of Emirates Nature-WWF, bringing together diverse perspectives on how protecting nature and land is essential for long-term economic stability. Session highlights and key takeaways: https://lnkd.in/eEf7anJi Alongside this impactful discussion, we were proud to launch the accompanying thought leadership paper, which explores actionable strategies to integrate nature conservation into financial decision-making. Read the full thought leadership piece: https://lnkd.in/eShEkeaa The Majlis was attended by senior representatives from the Accuracy, Emirates NBD, Global Capacity Building Coalition (GCBC), Goumbook, HSBC Middle East, ING, National Bank of Fujairah, The Scottish Government, UK government, and Zurich Insurance.

The Scottish Taskforce for Green and Sustainable Financial Services observed that green projects in Scotland often exist, but a lack of timely funding prevents their delivery. Addressing this gap is essential to tackling climate change effectively. Scottish-based institutions like Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Group have shown substantial commitment, with Scottish Financial Enterprise working as an incubator for innovation in green finance, including exploring a potential “net zero fund” for Scotland. However, despite this progress, many green projects remain unfunded as highlighted at the COP26 - UN Climate Change Conference. The Taskforce emphasised the importance of a dedicated delivery unit to drive green and sustainable finance. Acting as a central coordination hub, the unit would assess green investment prospects and align efforts across government, agencies, and the private sector to implement Investor Panel recommendations. Explore our recommendations on unlocking investment in the full report: https://lnkd.in/ddnyK3zR The Scottish Government Scottish Enterprise Scottish Development International Sandy Begbie CBE FRSE Omar Shaikh Chris Tait Amanda Young

Thrilled to be back in the Asset TV Studio today wrapping up the GEFI Insights Series for 2024 with Amy Clarke, Tribe Impact Capital, Arianna Manili, Planet Tracker, and Richard Folland, Carbon Tracker. Over the past seven months, the Series has focused on illuminating the intersection between climate and nature across, insightful articles, engaging blogs, and thought-provoking webinars and interviews. Sign up to the GEFI Insights Series for cutting edge research on climate and nature finance: https://lnkd.in/e6mf8hzY Thanks as always to Tim Baker and the incredible Asset TV team for all their hard work and support!

After a week of impactful events in Dubai, the GEFI team is now participating in Abu Dhabi's flagship event - ADFW! Our Chair, Dame Susan Rice will be moderating tomorrow's Banking on Sustainability Panel with Jennifer Chammas, HSBC and Faisal Mohammed ALShimmari, Mashreq to explore what banks can do to enable change and help clients move closer toward their sustainability objectives.

We were delighted to have Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP join the Scottish Taskforce for Green and Sustainable Financial Services' final report launch in September. Scotland’s economic future hinges on its ability to lead in sustainable finance. With the right policies and collaborative efforts, Scotland can drive the net zero transition while fostering growth and prosperity. As the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic suggests, green finance will be pivotal to ensuring Scotland's place in a changing global economy. Explore the strategies in our latest report: https://lnkd.in/ddnyK3zR #NetZero #Transition #Scotland The Scottish Government Scottish Financial Enterprise Scottish Enterprise Scottish Development International Sandy Begbie CBE FRSE Omar Shaikh Chris Tait Amanda Young

Delivering the opening keynote at today's Climate Finance Capacity Building Forum, Jamal Saleh delivered a compelling keynote on the UAE Banks Federation’s dedication to sustainable finance, focusing on their ambitious targets, regulatory challenges, and ecosystem development. Key points included: ➤ The UAE Banks Federation’s commitment to one trillion dirhams in sustainable financing by 2030, potentially reaching this goal ahead of schedule ➤ Challenges in defining sustainable finance and the need for standardized rules and frameworks to ensure clarity and consistency ➤ The creation of a performance dashboard to monitor banks’ progress in meeting sustainability targets, highlighting accountability and transparency ➤ Emphasising banks’ own internal ESG practices and their influence on customers and suppliers, underlining the sector’s pivotal role in driving sustainable behaviour throughout the value chain ➤ The importance of establishing new laws and amending existing regulations to incentivise sustainable finance, as well as supporting SMEs in adopting green initiatives Jamal’s insights underscored the critical need for the banking sector to lead by example, foster a robust sustainability ecosystem, and pave the way for enduring environmental and social benefits.

Pioneering Islamic Sustainable Finance Initiative Launched in Dubai! Today, at the Global Capacity Building Coalition (GCBC)'s Climate Finance Capacity Building Forum in Dubai, GEFI, Islamic Finance Council UK (UKIFC), and HSBC Bank Middle East announced a transformative 1-year partnership to scale sustainable finance in the MENAT region through the Islamic Sustainable Finance Initiative (ISFI). Aligned with the UAE’s ambitious COP28 UAE pledge of AED 1 trillion in sustainable finance by 2030 and DIFC’s goal to train 1 million sustainability leaders, ISFI focuses on: ➨ Raising market awareness through events & roundtables ➨ Delivering CPD-accredited capacity building courses ➨ Establishing a knowledge hub of resources & best practices ➨ Conducting a GCC retail survey on sustainability-linked products With HSBC’s philanthropic support, this initiative builds on years of collaboration between GEFI & UKIFC, promoting shared principles of ethical investing and sustainability while positioning Islamic finance as a driver of the UN SDGs. The UAE, with its leadership in green finance and strategic policies, stands as a beacon for Islamic sustainable finance. Together, we are shaping the future of finance for people and planet. Read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/eqeHjU9Q