Economy

Why we’re supporting Sustainable September: UKSIF

Published

10 years ago

June 16, 2014

Blue & Green Tomorrow

Several organisations are helping us organise and underwrite Sustainable September, the month-long celebration of sustainability that you can reserve your tickets for now, before they go on general sale.

We are asking each of them to tell us why they are supporting the event. Next up is the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF), the trade body for the industry

Why is UKSIF supporting Sustainable September?

We’re supporting Sustainable September because we welcome all efforts to broaden the debate on sustainability: we need to get more people interested and engaged. UKSIF focuses on finance with Good Money Week and we’re happy to see investment appearing in the Sustainable September agenda along with other sectors. Whilst finance can be seen as linking them all, making the connection between everyday behaviour such as holidays and sustainability is important and we have no doubt that Blue & Green Tomorrow’s usual energy is going to do that loudly and effectively.

What do you hope to get out of the event?

We hope it will add to the groundswell of comment and debate on the wider issue of sustainability. Despite all the science and the data there still seems to be a problem translating the problem into everyday terms. The more events and column inches that are produced the better, they all help to show these concerns are normal and mainstream and not the province solely of campaigners.

What does sustainability mean to you?

UKSIF’s mission is to promote responsible investment and other forms of finance that support sustainable economic development, to enhance quality of life and to safeguard the environment. These all play a part in ‘sustainability’ which we think has to be seen as a broad or universal concept. Trying to define it can distract attention from doing. Those themes in our mission are in Good Money Week along with another objective, that of making it easier for people to be able to invest in line with their values.

Why should individuals and businesses consider sustainability?

At the simplest level it’s because if we don’t it will bite us all, either financially or in terms of quality of life (or both). The impact of climate change is increasingly visible whilst risks such as resource depletion and asset stranding are looming. They have the potential to ruin lives and finances for individuals, business and entire nations.

At a more engaged and detailed level, in finance it is about identifying and publicising the risks and rewards that sustainability issues represent. UKSIF exists to promote sustainable finance and investment and part of that is to promote the opportunities in sustainability as well as flagging the risks it represents. Hopefully events such as Sustainable September and Good Money Week can bang the gong for good news as well as highlighting concerns.

Follow Sustainable September on Twitter (@SustSept), Facebook (facebook.com/sustsept) and through the dedicated LinkedIn group. You can also register your interest to attend events before tickets go on general sale.