More greenbacks from green banks: preparing for the Rio+20 summit at the first global sustainable finance conference
The sustainable finance sector continues to surge on an international level, thanks in part to the first Global Sustainable Finance Conference, held earlier this month in Karlsruhe, Germany.
According to E-Tech Germany, the conference addressed “some of the most debated issues today — environmental challenges, transforming economies, and particularly the decisive role of financial industry in these changing times where…social, economic and environmental sustainability is becoming imperative.”
A conference highlight was the launching of the Global Sustainable Finance Network (GSFN), an international membership organization dedicated to the promotion of sustainable development through socially responsible finance. Another highlight was the creation of the Karlsruhe Declaration, a joint statement that, according to ADFIAP, not only “sets out the aspirations and contribution of the finance community to advance sustainable development,” but also sends “a message to the Rio+20,” the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012.
While in Karlsruhe, Cora Conde of ADFIAP and Heidi Brueck of E-Tech Germany signed a memorandum of cooperation to advance sustainable finance, which ADFIAP defines as finance that “considers funding projects and enterprises that are socially beneficial, environmentally responsible and economically viable,” and to also implement “programs and initiatives that contribute in the smooth functioning of the Global Sustainable Finance Network.”. Indeed, at the Rio+20, the smooth functioning of global sustainable finance must be a central topic if we want to get more bang for that collective buck.
Original article published at www.uncsd2012.org
