AADFI cooperated with its partner associations, ADFIMI and ADFIAP, and the European Organisation for Sustainable Development for the Global Sustainable Finance Conference 2024, held from November 21 to 22nd, 2024, in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Driven by the mission of making business sense of sustainability, this year’s conference focused on how financial institutions can generate profits by creating unique value propositions for their customers and leading social and ecological action in their markets.
Against the above backdrop, the conference successfully addressed the role of financial institutions in the changing regulatory and market environment, discussed how to embrace and benefit from true and holistic sustainability, refrain from greenwashing, and turn sustainability from a buzzword to the engine of sustainable business growth.
The conference was opened by the Deputy Mayor of Karlsruhe, Mrs. Bettina Lisbach, who was pleased to welcome the international delegations to the Global Sustainable Finance Conference 2024.
In her speech, she highlighted the joint work between EOSD and the host city, which made Karlsruhe the starting point for important global developments.
Mrs. Lisbach emphasized that for 14 years, the Global Sustainable Finance Conference has brought together selected institutions and leaders from around the world to address the complex challenges of finance, sustainability, innovation, and the economy that are closely linked.
The conference examined the consequences of the overall negative impact of financial institutions on society, the economy, and the environment when they fund “unsustainable” enterprises and projects. However, this challenge has been neglected mainly because the main focus in terms of sustainability actions shifted to reporting on selective and limited measures. Therefore, equipping financial institutions with comprehensive sustainability standards to deliver a real impact on the ground and counter greenwashing and other such business practices was at the heart of the conference discussions.
The Lord Mayor Dr. Frank Mentrup, who was the key host of the conference, also welcomed the delegates and emphasized that with the world’s most comprehensive sustainability standards, which was developed in Karlsruhe under the leadership of Mr. Arshad Rab, Chairman of the International Council of Sustainability Standards, Karlsruhe’s claim as a central place for innovation and sustainability is more than impressively demonstrated.
At the end of the two-day conference, the Karlsruhe Sustainable Finance Awards ceremony was held. The awards honour financial institutions and their Presidents/CEOs who have made significant contributions to sustainable banking and finance.
Through the activities of the EOSD, Karlsruhe, as a host city, plays a leading role, among others, in promoting the growth of sustainable financial instruments and markets worldwide, especially in the areas of sustainable finance and investments and targeted capital for companies with new ideas that enable the transition to a sustainable economy.
The Sustainability Standards developed in Karlsruhe, Germany, is now an important initiative that is transforming the financial landscape in emerging markets.
In addition, the Reshaping Industry for a Sustainable Economy (RISE) Program, formally unveiled during the conference, is another landmark initiative that will generate demand for genuine sustainable finance. RISE is an innovative and cutting-edge solution from Karlsruhe that enables financial institutions to create a robust portfolio of profitable businesses and projects through solving problems of their communities, addressing environmental and climate challenges and providing the world with answers that make lives better. It is also set to help mobilize impact funds for highly impactful businesses and projects. In line with its vision of promoting sustainable growth of members’ economies, AADFI joined hands with the EOSD to deliver cutting-edge and innovative solutions to the Development Financing Institutions (DFIs) across Africa. The cooperation focuses on supporting the member DFIs in embracing true and holistic sustainability, opening new avenues for raising capital, and applying innovative instruments to identify and fund truly sustainable businesses and projects.
In line with its vision of promoting sustainable growth of members’ economies, AADFI joined hands with the EOSD to deliver cutting-edge and innovative solutions to the Development Financing Institutions (DFIs) across Africa. The cooperation focuses on supporting the member DFIs in embracing true and holistic sustainability, opening new avenues for raising capital, and applying innovative instruments to identify and fund truly sustainable businesses and projects.