Green Finance Education Charter

by | Mar 16, 2021

Launching the Green Finance Education Charter Toolkit

The financial sector is a key enabler in the transition to a resilient, inclusive net-zero economy, and to play this role effectively, the relevant skills need to be in place across the industry. The Green Finance Education Charter aims to do this by ensuring every finance professional has the vital knowledge necessary to accurately assess climate-related risk and opportunities.

Today we are delighted to launch our new Toolkit dedicated to this important initiative in collaboration with the 12 member bodies. This serves as a key reference point for the Charter and as an important resource for existing and future finance professionals.

Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas, Chief Executive, Green Finance Institute, says: “Green is one of the most exciting, creative and fast-growing areas of finance and the skills required to ensure climate risk and opportunity are accurately assessed in all financial decision making will be increasingly sought after as the global economy shifts to net-zero carbon.  This will also be an important factor in ensuring the UK remains a leading global centre for talent and innovation focused on green finance.  The Green Finance Institute is pleased to champion this important initiative, which was born of a close collaboration with leading finance industry bodies.”

Simon Thompson, Chief Executive of the Chartered Banker Institute, says: “To ensure every professional financial decision includes climate change, we must ensure every finance professional develops the expertise required to manage climate risks and identify the opportunities from the transition.  The UK’s world-leading professional bodies have key roles to play in establishing the standards, norms, values and practices to develop the capability and capacity of the finance sector globally.  We are delighted to be doing so in partnership with the Green Finance Institute, and look forward to continuing to support the Institute’s mission and activities as we work together to mainstream green and sustainable finance.”

Simon Culhane, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment, adds: “Investors of all shapes and sizes – from the biggest global fund to the regular saver – are becoming ever-more savvy on matters green and sustainable. Their demands for well-informed, up-to-date, nimble advice from advisers grow by the week. Fortunately, the great majority of those advisers are members of one of the 12 Green Finance Education Charter bodies all of whom, like the CISI, have a strong focus on offering accessible and rich insights into the challenges of climate, biodiversity, and much else besides in their educational ‘toolkits’ for members.”

Caroline Stockmann, Chief Executive of the Association of Corporate Treasurers, says: “We believe the private sector has an important part to play in helping reduce carbon emissions as part of a wider focus on sustainability.  In terms of stakeholder management, boards are taking green finance more and more seriously – COVID-19 has perhaps even accelerated this trend.  As the professional body for treasurers, we need to ensure our members have the tools and information needed to support their organisations in transitioning to a low carbon economy, and the ACT has made this a focus over the last three years, through our CPD, events and qualifications.”

Click here to find out more about the Green Finance Education Charter Toolkit.