This conference, co-hosted by the German Development Institute/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and the UNEP Inquiry, will address central challenges for the financial sector of contributing to the new paradigm of sustainable development as agreed upon by heads of state at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015. The conference will discuss the progress and challenges in two major areas:

• How to drive the banking sector towards sustainability considerations? While public banks have traditionally considered sustainability principles in their lending policies, pioneering commercial banks are also on a pathway towards incorporating environmental and social factors into parts of their lending operations.
• How to mobilise capital markets for investments in sustainable development? Bond and equities markets are developing rapidly in developing countries, but there is often a lack of investment opportunities for long-term investors. Green bonds are emerging as a new asset class. Infrastructure investment vehicles are of rising importance for financing sustainable investments in infrastructure. Institutional investors increasingly consider the long-term impact of their actions and favour investment strategies that create long-term, sustainable value for society. Developing country regulators and central banks are supplementing this dynamic with their own guidelines and requirements to ensure that financial systems are aligned with their country’s social and environmental priorities. The conference will provide a platform to debate the challenges and the way forward towards mobilising financial systems for sustainable development.

Speakers include:

• Peter Wolff, Head of Department, World Economy and Development Finance, DIE
• Simon Zadek, Co-Director, UNEP Inquiry
• Ulrich Volz, Associate Professor, SOAS, University of London & Senior Research Fellow
• Jürgen Zattler, Deputy Director General, German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development
• Rong Zhang, Global Coordinator for Sustainable Banking Network, IFC
• Jiajun Xu, Executive Deputy Director, Center for New Structural Economics, Peking University
• Annette Detken, Head of Financial Sector Competence Center, KfW
• Pascal Canfin, Advisor on Climate at World Resources Institute & Co-Chair, Commission for Innovative Financing for Climate mandated by the President of the French Republic
• Ilmi Granoff, Head of Green Growth Unit, ODI
• Corli le Roux, Head of SRI Index & Sustainability, Johannesburg Stock Exchange
• Sony Kapoor, Managing Director, Re-Define
• Timothée Jaulin, Associate, Amundi Investment Solutions & Strategic Advisory
• Wolfgang Bücker, Head, Financial Systems Development, GIZ
• Brindusa Fidanza, Founder and CEO, The Ground_Up Project
• Sharmala Naidoo, Climate Development Facility