Sustainable Finance Roundtable

As sources of financing for businesses, lenders and investors can have a very significant impact on efforts to promote alignment of business practices with specific goals. The role of socially responsible investing, impact investing and environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in finance has grown as more and more investors and bank shareholders prefer to see their money used to finance enterprises and activities that are reflective of their social values.

As the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have gained traction in recent years, ESG finance has become an important focus of attention among lenders, investors, financial industry associations, multilateral institutions, governments and regulators.

This year, as part of the World Green Building Week and the upcoming Africa Green Building Summit Hosted by Green Building Council, Cameroon we aim to develop a set of Climate Leadership Principles that can help guide businesses in addressing climate change and establish a clearer vision about how a low-carbon future in the region could be achieved. Considering the huge role that lenders and investors can play in this process, this Roundtable will seek to identify principles for fostering financial sector climate leadership that can be incorporated as well as concrete actions that can be taken to facilitate an effective role for lenders and investors in promoting sustainable business practices.