Financial Times and IFC honour sustainable investment

Recognising the importance of sustainability in finance, The Financial Times and the International Finance Corporation will host the FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Conference and Awards on June 14, 2012 at The Landmark Hotel in London.

Designed to acknowledge financial institutions that demonstrate leadership in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) integration, the seventh iteration of the awards covers four categories:

Sustainable Bank of the Year

Banks that have been better able to balance the planet, its people and prosperity in their operations will be considered for these coveted awards. Open to banking institutions in both developed and emerging economies this year, the category offers awards for regional leadership in Africa/Middle East, Americas, Asia/Pacific and Europe. Sustainable Global Bank of the Year is also up grabs for international institutions with assets of more than US$500bn.

Sustainable Investor of the Year

Focusing on trailblazing achievement in all forms of sustainable investment throughout 2011, this award targets institutions that have shown “innovation or leadership in creating environmental, social and financial value”. It is open to all asset owners and asset managers.

Sustainable Investment of the Year

Perhaps the most difficult to judge, the Sustainable Investment of the Year award acknowledges true engagement of real sector companies by investors. Active engagement is a cornerstone of sustainable investment and the award will focus on investor–company relationships that have resulted in “the development and delivery of innovative, viable and replicable products and services that engage and empower the poor, target underserved markets or address key environmental challenges such as climate change”.

Technology in Sustainable Finance

The Technology in Sustainable Finance category really opens up the field with all financial sector participants welcome, including banks, hedge funds, insurers and real sector companies. Innovative use of information technology and communications for financial services to “address basic needs at the Base of the Pyramid (BOP), the more than 4 billion people who live on less than US$2 a day” will seize the attention of the judges in this category.

The FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Conference and Awards, as its name suggests, also features a full and thought-provoking conference programme that precedes the award ceremony itself.

Three panel discussions will see the likes of James Gifford, associate director of UN PRI and H.R.H Princess Maxima of the Netherlands discussing “Private Equity and Responsible Investment – The New Frontier”, “Harnessing Technology and Innovation in Sustainable Finance” and “Women and Business – the Key to Sustainable Development and Economic Revitalisation”.

There will also be a keynote address by James Cameron, announced as the new chairman of Climate Change Capital following acquisition by Bunge on April 16.

The closing keynote address will be delivered by Rachel Kyte who, as vice president and network head of sustainable development at World Bank, has overall responsibilities for the organization’s global work in agriculture, the environment, infrastructure, urban development and social development.

In preparation for the awards, we recommend that you browse through our new Guide to Sustainable Investment. Download it for free here. Not only does The Guide lay out the reasoning behind sustainable investment, but it also helps answer the big question: “Where do I begin?”

See you on June 14.

Further reading:

The Guide to Sustainable Investment