News

The time to unlock financing for biodiversity protection is now

Read Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP's speech on the global biodiversity funding gap, and why negotiators finalizing the Global Biodiversity Framework can help to unlock private and public finance at a massive scale by setting the enabling environment for alignment of finance to nature. Includes what the climate space has taught us about using alignment to shift finance and the need to focus on action in food systems which will be particularly critical.

2021: a year of private finance stepping up sustainability action

The climate clock was ticking loudly in 2021. With every region of the globe impacted by climate change, expectations were high for COP26 which took place in Glasgow in November. The outcomes of the most anticipated climate conference since Paris were not as ambitious as required and left the goal of keeping global warming to 1.5C on life support. However, it came during a year when commitments to finance a net-zero economy were made by financial institutions from around the world – many of them from within the UNEP FI family.

28 banks collectively accelerate action on universal financial inclusion and health

A group of 28 banks under the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) has founded a first-of-its-kind commitment to promote universal financial inclusion and foster a banking sector that supports the financial health of customers. This marks the start of a collective journey to accelerate action on financial health and inclusion, alongside some other critical topics of our times, such as climate change, nature loss and pollution.

New UNEP FI Leadership Council marks a step-change in sustainable finance landscape

UNEP FI today announces the formation of a new Leadership Council, designed to further mobilise the financial sector and deepen the integration of sustainability across the industry. The Council brings together 19 CEOs and Chairpersons of banks and insurers currently represented on one of the three elected UNEP FI governance bodies. As well as providing vision and strategic direction to UNEP FI, the body is designed to help shape, mainstream and deepen sustainability integration across the industry.