Performance Framework: Effectiveness

Effectiveness concerns the degree to which markets price sustainability factors are into asset values. This is core to assessing the existence of market failures, although there remains a need to distinguish market failures and policy weaknesses associated with the real economy (e.g. lack of carbon pricing) and market failures and policy weaknesses in the financial economy, such as not considering the potential market impacts of future carbon pricing.

Inquiry Publications

The Financial System We Need: Aligning the Financial System with Sustainable Development

Date: 08-Oct-2015

Download the full report: [AR] [CH] [EN] [ES] [FR] [PT] [RU] Download the policy summary: [AR] [CH] [EN] [ES] [FR] [PT] [RU] This first edition of “The Financial System We Need” argues that there is now a historic opportunity to shape a financial system that can more effectively finance the development of an inclusive, green economy. This opportunity is based on a growing trend
The Financial System We Need: From Momentum to Transformation

Date: 29-Sep-2016

Download the policy summary: [AR] [CH] [EN] [ES] [FR] [PT] [RU] Download the individual chapters: Chapter 1: Mapping the momentum | Chapter 2: Harnessing financial technology for sustainable development | Chapter 3: Measuring performance | Chapter 4: Steps towards transformation Our follow-up annual report reveals a doubling in policy actions over the past five years to align the global financial system with sustainable
Making Waves

Date: 17-Apr-2018

The Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System was initiated by the United Nations Environment Programme to advance options to align the financial system with sustainable development. ‘Making Waves: Aligning the Financial System with Sustainable Development’ is its final, global report. This report reviews the Inquiry’s core analysis, summarizes progress made in aligning
Fintech and Sustainable Development – Assessing the Implications

Date: 14-Dec-2016

The report, a companion to the second edition of “The Financial System We Need”, assesses how the financial system’s core functions are likely to be disrupted by financial technology (“fintech”) innovations and how they could help – or hinder – efforts to align financing with sustainable development. It considers ways to: Unlock greater financial inclusion by
Accelerating Financial Centre Action on Sustainable Development

Date: 12-Dec-2017

Mobilizing the world’s financial centres is essential to make progress on climate change and sustainable development. The momentum towards a sustainable financial system is clear and yet insufficient to deliver the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The world’s financial centres now have a historic opportunity to help close this gap by accelerating
A Review of International Financial Standards as They Relate to Sustainable Development

Date: 22-Feb-2017

The report, a companion to the second edition of “The Financial System We Need”, examines how the international financial standards currently relate to the goals of sustainable development and explores opportunities for better alignment as a way to promote greater stability, resilience and fairness to the financial system. The key messages are: Financial standards have
Financing the Transition – How Financial System Reform Can Serve Sustainable Development

Date: 15-Nov-2016

This report is focused on understanding how the growing number of policy and regulatory measures taken in the financial system can support a real economy in transition, seeking to answer the question: ‘what measures are most needed to deliver efficiency, effectiveness and resilience in ways that the financial system can contribute to specific sustainability priorities
Green Finance Progress Report

Date: 11-Jul-2017

The G20 Green Finance Synthesis Report adopted at the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou in September 2016 set out seven options identified by the G20 Green Finance Study Group (GFSG) to accelerate the mobilization of green finance. This paper highlights some of the progress made against these seven options in G20 members and internationally since June 2016.
Green Finance Opportunities in ASEAN

Date: 15-Nov-2017

This report lays out ways in which the ASEAN region can unlock this investment and protect its people, environment and economies. It provides an analysis of green investment opportunities in the region from 2016 to 2030, assesses the characteristics of those opportunities, and estimates current green finance flows. Based on a literature review and expert
Establishing China’s Green Financial System: Progress Report

Date: 16-Nov-2017

The report finds that China – which put green finance on the G20 agenda during its 2016 presidency – is following through on its political commitment to boost the financing required to do this. The report looks particularly at progress since the State Council in August 2016 approved a set of recommendations for action on