By 2025, more than a third of global assets under management could be ESG-aligned. With public budgets constrained in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, this mass transition by the financial sector has the capacity to drive green, inclusive, and resilient growth in the real economy. However, with limited skills, data, regulations and policies to support green finance, many of the most climate-exposed developing countries struggle to attract sustainable investment. At the same time, the greening of the global financial system must account for the unique challenges and opportunities in regions outside of Europe and North America or risk entrenching existing barriers to funding.

This event brings together expert voices from developing countries and private finance to show how nations with emerging financial sectors can lay the right foundations to tap into global pools of ESG-aligned capital and use it to accelerate the growth of green businesses. It will provide replicable examples of green financial market building and launch a conversation running through to COP27 on how developing countries can take a more prominent global role in transforming financial systems.

On Finance Day, 03 November, we convened a panel on Financial sector greening: Building foundations for sustainable finance in developing countries where policymakers, donors and the private sector came together to discuss how developed and developing countries can work collaboratively to help the latter develop local markets for green finance, attract a greater share of global sustainable investment, and shape international frameworks, standards and reporting.

Moderator: Dr Nicola Ranger – Deputy Director, UK Centre for Greening Finance and Investment

Panellists:
Ayaan Zeinab Adam – Senior Director and Chief Executive Officer AFC Capital Partners

Zoe Knight – Managing Director and Group Head of the HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance

Mark Napier – CEO, FSD Africa

Alexia Latortue – Deputy CEO, Millennium Challenge Corporation

Watch recording here>>