Name: Scaling private sector climate finance in the MENA region
Start: 2023-03-02T08:00:00Z
End: 2023-03-02T08:01:03.000Z
Location: BrightTALK
Rating: 5

United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is a partnership between United Nations Environment and the global financial sector created in the wake of the 1992 Earth Summit with a mission to promote sustainable finance. More than 240 financial institutions, including banks, insurers, and investors, work with UN Environment to understand today’s environmental, social and governance challenges, why they matter to finance, and how to actively participate in addressing them.

UNEP FI’s work also includes a strong focus on policy – by facilitating country-level dialogues between finance practitioners, supervisors, regulators and policy-makers, and, at the international level, by promoting financial sector involvement in processes such as the global climate negotiations.

The interconnected nature of sustainability challenges demands a shift from siloed approaches to holistic systems thinking. For financial institutions, recognising and managing interlinkages between environmental, social, and economic factors is critical to driving meaningful impact and supporting sustainable development. By addressing these interconnections, financial institutions can leverage positive impacts across their portfolios and avoid unintended risks. 

This webinar will unveil the latest insights and resources to help organisations navigate and manage the complex interlinkages between different impact areas. It will feature the latest edition of the UNEP FI Interlinkages Mapping and the accompanying document Understanding and Managing Interlinkages.

Unpacking the Power of Interlinkages for Holistic Impact Management

Hosted by UNEP FI and WWF, this webinar presents a new joint publication: Navigating Nature-related Regulations for Banks: Mapping the Policy Landscape. As nature-related regulatory initiatives are picking up globally, this webinar helps attendees make sense of these developments around the world, and how broader policy frameworks interact. This webinar is open to all, with a focus on representatives of banks, central banks and supervisors, and government policymakers.

Central banks and supervisors are starting to acknowledge the necessity of tackling nature-related risks as part of their prudential mandate. Already, 29 jurisdictions around the world—totaling more than EUR 75 trillion of banking assets—have started reflecting nature-related considerations in their prudential frameworks. However, prudential regulation does not act in isolation, as it is part of a wider system of rules, such as corporate disclosures, taxonomies, and due diligence obligations, that depend on and inform each other. This creates a complex interplay of linkages that interact locally within but also globally across jurisdictions. 

The following speakers are confirmed:
Marc Reinke, Co-chair of Taskforce on Nature-related Risk, NGFS / Head of Sustainable Finance Office, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB)
Guan Schellekens, Team Lead of the Climate Risk Project Management Office, European Central Bank (ECB)
Katie Lee Sheah Tsan, Climate Policy Strategist, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM)
Sem Houben, Nature Risk & Policy Specialist, UNEP FI
Pina Saphira, Nature Economy Lead, WWF Greening Financial Regulation Initiative
Maud Abdelli, Lead, WWF Greening Financial ReguIation Initiative
Laura Canas da Costa, Global Policy Co-Lead, UNEP FI
Romie Goedicke den Hertog, Nature Co-Lead, UNEP FI

Agenda: 
Part 1 – Report findings; the global state of play of nature-related regulations for banks 
Part 2 – Case studies on nature-related policy initiatives by central banks

Navigating Nature-related Regulations for Banks

As the year draws to a close, join the UNEP FI Climate Team for a comprehensive reflection on the key outcomes of COP29 and a broader summation of 2024’s climate milestones. This webinar will unpack critical discussions from COP29, including the evolving role of carbon markets in global climate strategies and their implications for the financial sector. Participants will also gain insights into major climate reports released this year, such as UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report 2024, offering a snapshot of where we stand on the path to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Designed as a year-end wrap-up, the session will provide a holistic view of 2024’s progress in climate finance, policy, and action, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for financial institutions in aligning portfolios with net-zero commitments. Engage with leading experts to explore the key takeaways from COP29, the state of global climate governance, and what lies ahead for 2025.

Overview of 2024 in climate

Seafood supply chains are at the heart of global food systems, yet they face significant environmental and social challenges. Traceability is key to addressing these risks and unlocking sustainable opportunities. 

A partner coalition made of the FAIRR Initiative, Planet Tracker, UNEP FI, the World Benchmarking Alliance and WWF US started a Seafood Traceability investor engagement to encourage major seafood companies to develop and implement full-chain, digital and interoperable traceability systems. 

Join us on December 5th for the launch of "Tracing Risk and Opportunity: The Critical Need for Traceability in Seafood Supply Chains", a new report by the FAIRR Initiative. This report synthesizes insights from the first year of the Seafood Traceability investor engagement, which brought together 35 investors representing US $6.5 trillion in combined assets to collaboratively engage seven global seafood companies in constructive dialogues about supply chain traceability. 

The webinar will delve into the importance of traceability in seafood supply chains and explore the findings from the report, which offers actionable recommendations for investors and seafood companies. Attendees will hear from leading traceability technologists, investors, and sustainability experts on the progress made so far and the challenges that remain on the road to robust traceability.

Do not miss this opportunity to learn about the next phase of the Seafood Traceability engagement and how you can drive meaningful change in global seafood supply chains.

Speakers include:

Laure Boissat, Senior ESG Analyst Biodiversity & Oceans, the FAIRR Initiative
Lauren Lynch, Manager - Blue Finance (Ocean ESG), WWF-US
Dai Yamawaki, Senior Portfolio Manager, Nomura Asset Management 
Emily Claire Mackey Faubel, Associate, ESG Engagement, Rockefeller Asset Management
Blake Harris, Technical Director, Global Food Traceability Center, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

Tracing Risk and Opportunity: The Critical Need for Traceability in Seafood Supply Chains

About: 
This webinar will convene members of the PSI Insurance Working Group for Nature—a multi-stakeholder platform driving technical advancements and capacity building on nature-related issues and alignment with the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Comprising more than 40 insurance companies and brokers from all regions of the world, the working group is supported by technical partners such as the World Wide Fund for Nature, as well as individuals form a consultative group consisting of global regulators, supervisors, and insurance associations.
 
During the webinar, the working group will launch its first output: "Insuring a Resilient Nature-Positive Future"—a guide outlining priority actions that non-life and life & health insurers can take to align with the Global Biodiversity Framework. The group will share insights into the guide and its recommendations and discuss how the guidance can be practically applied across the insurance industry globally.
 
Speakers and panellists:
• Butch Bacani, Programme Leader, UN Environment Programme’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative
• Deborah Halberstadt, Special Advisor to the Commissioner, Biodiversity and Inclusive Insurance, California Department of Insurance
• Huma Pabani, Director, Environment & National Issues, Environment, Government & Industry Relations, TD Insurance
• Caroline Wakesho Sonje, Group ESG Specialist, ICEA LION 
• Hiroko Urashima, Senior Sustainability Specialist, MS&AD 
• Thomas Viegas, Nature Strategy Lead, Aviva
• Aurélie Fallon Saint-Lo, Head of Sustainable Underwriting, AXA Group
• Regula Hess, Financial Sector Engagement Lead, WWF Switzerland
• Romie Goedicke, Nature Co-Lead, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative
• Verena Kraus, Manager PSI Working Group for Nature, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative

Insuring A Resilient Nature-Positive Future

The Climate Investment Playbook was co-developed by British International investment and FMO with the support of the UNEP FI-led Adaptation & Resilience Investors Collaborative (ARIC) to support private equity and venture capital in originating and assessing climate deals. The Playbook provides a clear structure for investors to cut through the complex web of frameworks, taxonomies and tools, with a focus on climate adaptation investments. The second part of UNEP FI's overview will focus on sector-specific issues:

• A&R across different sectors, i.e. Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, Energy, Manufacturing, Real Estate/Buildings, Transport, Water, Health, Metals & Mining, Financial Services, Information & Communication Technologies, Nature-based Solutions

• Best class example and case studies

You can find the first part of the Investing in Climate Adaptation here: https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/17290/627083?utm_source=UNEnvironmentFinanceInitiative&utm_medium=brighttalk&utm_campaign=627083

Investing in Climate Adaptation | Guidance for investors, Part 2

Tackling climate mitigation represents a multifaceted and multi-year transformation for banks in Africa and the Middle East (AME), impacting every single aspect of their business and operating models.  Through the UN Principles for Responsible Banking and its climate accelerator, the Net-Zero Banking Alliance many AME Banks have started taking the required steps towards climate mitigation, by building a baseline of climate capabilities and setting their net-zero commitments and initial targets. However, with evolving standards, methodologies, public policies and regulation, the way to go about this transformation is still being shaped and approaches by different banks vary significantly.
 
This webinar will provide the opportunity for participants to learn from the experiences of 3 financial institutions from the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, and Morocco to showcase their climate mitigation journey so far and engage in a peer-to-peer exchange on challenges ahead and net-zero opportunities from local and regional perspectives.
 
Speakers will include:
• Garima Chitkara, Vice President, Net Zero Transition - Group ESG , First Abu Dhabi Bank
• Judith Sidi Odhiambo, Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, KCB Group
• Mamoun Tahri Joutei, Head of Economic Intelligence and Sustainable Development, Bank of Africa

This webinar is part of a series of regional sessions on various climate-related topics relevant to the needs of banks from AME.

Addressing climate mitigation for banks in Africa and Middle East: Insights and perspectives from banks in the region

The Adaptation and Resilience Investors Collaborative (ARIC) has recently published its physical climate risk investor playbook which provides investors with a step-by-step approach to integrate the identification, assessment and management of physical climate risks in the investment process. 
 
This talk will focus firstly on providing an overview of the playbook and its key messages followed by a panel discussion exploring the playbook themes, and examining how the methodology and approaches outlined in the playbook are applied in practice by investment professionals. 
 
Agenda
·      Welcome and opening remarks
·      Physical climate risk investor playbook introduction and overview
·      Panel Discussion and Q&A
·      Closing remarks

ARIC Physical Climate Risk Playbook for Investors Launch

The Climate Investment Playbook was developed by British International investment and FMO to support private equity and venture capital to originate and assess climate deals. The Playbook provides a clear structure for investors to cut through the complex web of frameworks, taxonomies and tools, with a focus on cliamte adaptation investments. The focus of today's webinar will be:
• Introduction to Climate Adaptation and Resilience Finance
• Market Trends in A&R Finance
• Terms and Definitions of A&R Investing, and differentiation from Climate Mitigation and Loss and Damage
• Identification and Assessment of A&R Investment Opportunities

Investing in Climate Adaptation | Guidance for investors, Part 1

In this webinar, UNEP FI members will hear directly from Indigenous Peoples about transformative business models designed to deliver shared prosperity.  Practical examples and Indigenous Peoples’ lived experiences of benefit-sharing and co-ownership will also be discussed. UNEP FI members financing energy community-led or co-led projects will also be featured.

To avoid climate catastrophe, renewable energy capacity must triple in the next six years. Financial institutions play a critical role in this energy transition – as do Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples are the ancestral owners of an estimated quarter of the world’s surface and therefore play a key role in the decision-making process and management of renewable energy projects. Likewise, financial institutions play an important role in financing and insuring renewable energy projects. The transition to renewable energy must take place as part of a just transition that ensures economic and social benefits are equitably distributed through fair and equitable benefit-sharing and in alignment with the self-determined priorities of Indigenous Peoples.

This webinar will serve as the official launch of the joint report "Exploring Shared Prosperity: Indigenous Leadership and Partnerships for a Just Transition," by IPRI and the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre on the role of Indigenous Peoples in ensuring a just and equitable renewable energy transition. Targeted at the financial sector, including banks, insurers, and investors, the panel discussion will highlight the critical importance of respecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights and adopting inclusive business models that align with Indigenous priorities.

Shared Prosperity: How Financial institutions can Partner with Indigenous Peoples for a Just Transition

The nature crisis is a growing global challenge, and the banking industry has a critical role to play in addressing it. Join us on October 21st for the launch of the PRB Nature Sector Action Guidance,  a comprehensive framework aimed at helping banks to take actions aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Developed in partnership with The Biodiversity Consultancy, this guidance focuses on actionable steps for banks to integrate nature into their core practices, particularly in high-impact sectors like mining, agriculture, and forestry. It also highlights how banks can support their clients in taking priority actions that directly address nature loss, contributing to the $700 billion annual biodiversity financing gap.
 
This guidance provides sector-specific insights on key commodities—such as bauxite, copper, cattle, wood, and soy—detailing both the actions and nature-related impacts banks should consider in their client dialogues. Through the use of real-world examples and practical recommendations, the PRB Nature Sector Action Guidance empowers banks to take immediate, informed action and support a nature-positive future. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how your institution can contribute to halting and reversing nature loss.

Speakers include:
• Grant Rudgley, Technical Director, Nature Finance, The Biodiversity Consultancy
• Margriet Coster, Senior ESG Analyst, Danske Bank
• Gratien Davasse, Associate, Green & Sustainable Hub, Natixis
• Jessica Smith, Nature Lead, UNEP FI 
• Oualid Rokneddine, Banking & Nature Manager, UNEP FI

PRB Sector Action Guidance for Nature: Getting Started in the Agricultural, Forestry, and Mining Sectors

As we approach the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the global community stands at a critical juncture in our efforts to safeguard the planet's biodiversity. COP16 in Cali, Colombia, represents a pivotal moment for the finance sector to drive forward the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and accelerate the transition towards a nature-positive economy.
 
This timely webinar will provide essential insights and updates for financial institutions preparing for COP16, focusing on the crucial role of finance in biodiversity conservation and restoration. Our expert panel will delve into key developments and expectations, equipping attendees with the knowledge needed to navigate the evolving landscape of biodiversity finance.
 
Key topics to be covered:
- Launch of the response to the roadmap briefing note, highlighting progress in aligning financial flows with the GBF since COP15 and identifying priority areas for action.
- Preview of the COP16 Finance and Biodiversity Pavilion agenda, showcasing opportunities for engagement and collaboration.
- In-depth discussion on COP16 expectations for the finance sector, including potential policy developments and commitments.
- Presentation of PRI's COP16 policy brief, outlining key recommendations for investors and policymakers.
- Finance for Biodiversity Foundation's intervention on COP16 expectations, providing insights on emerging trends and best practices.
- Interactive Q&A session to address critical finance-related queries ahead of the COP.
 
Join us for this essential pre-COP16 briefing and position your institution at the vanguard of the finance for nature-positive movement!

Finance for Peace with Nature: Heading to COP 16

The 2024 Global Investor Statement to Governments on the Climate Crisis is the most comprehensive statement to date. It calls on governments to raise their climate ambition in line with the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. To achieve these agreed climate goals, the 2024 Global Investor Statement calls for a whole-of-government approach across five critical policy groupings, which will be showcased in this webinar.

For further information or to sign on to the Global Investor Statement 2024, please contact info@theinvestoragenda.com.

To sign up to the 2024 Global Investor Statement, please go to: https://theinvestoragenda.org/focus-areas/policy-advocacy/sign-on/

Call for Policy Action: Building Investor Momentum for a Whole-Of-Government Approach to Climate Change

Call for Policy Action: Building Investor Momentum for a Whole-of-Government Approach to Climate Change

Aligning financial flows with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is crucial for addressing harmful financial practices while upscaling finance that positively impacts nature and biodiversity. Resource mobilization for the GBF involves both public and private sector contributions, with the upcoming COP16 negotiations playing a pivotal role in defining the monitoring framework for the resource mobilization indicator (Indicator D3). This framework will assess the effectiveness of private sector support for biodiversity, ensuring alignment with the GBF’s objectives and contributing to global conservation efforts.

Effective monitoring and alignment of financial flows require a clear understanding of the definitions, frameworks, and practices that qualify as biodiversity finance. This webinar will present two key papers: the UNEP FI and Finance for Biodiversity Foundation’s (FfB) nature-positive paper and the EU Business & Biodiversity Platform’s paper on business models and investment for nature. Additionally, the webinar will provide insights into what to expect at COP16 in Cali, Colombia, and will feature a panel discussion on how financial institutions can enhance and track positive impact finance.

For any related questions, please contact:

 • Natasha Boric, Finance for Biodiversity Foundation, natacha.boric@financeforbiodiversity.org
 • Jessica Smith, UNEP FI, jessica.smith@un.org
 • Sylvaine Rols, PRI, sylvaine.rols@unpri.org
 • Anne-Marie Bor, EU Business & Biodiversity Platform, a.bor@nextgreen.nl
 • Martha Bailon, EU Business & Biodiversity Platform, m.bailon@nextgreen.nl

"We need to talk about biodiversity" series. Countdown to Cali. Private sector contributions to resource mobilization.

Financial institutions from Africa and Middle East are now increasingly taking the required steps towards climate mitigation, by building a baseline of climate capabilities and setting their net-zero commitments and initial targets. However, most banks in the region face multiple challenges in making progress, such as the less advanced nature of climate disclosures and mitigation commitments. Measuring and disclosing Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with portfolios of loans and investments is a key component for aligning the financial sector with the Paris Climate Agreement. This webinar on GHG accounting in Africa and Middle East will:
• Discuss the value of measuring financed emissions for banks from Africa and Middle East.
• Introduce the Global GHG Accounting and Reporting Standard and relevant tools and methodologies, developed by the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF). 
• Showcase a number of calculation examples applying the PCAF calculation options.

Speakers will include:
• Dylan Hauser, Africa Regional Lead, PCAF
• Eslam Mahdy, MENA Regional Lead, PCAF

Measuring and disclosing GHG emissions associated with financial activities: Insights for banks in Africa & Middle East

Banks from Africa and Middle East (AME) are facing an increasing demand to accelerate their climate mitigation efforts, driven by the impacts of climate-related and transition risks on their portfolios, international climate agreements, NDC financing needs, as well as evolving public policies and regulations. UNEP FI developed the Climate Mitigation Journey (CMJ), a climate strategy framework outlining the business capabilities banks need to build and iterate for years to come as they are looking to advance their path to net zero. To address the knowledge needs of African and Middle Eastern banks, this webinar on climate risk assessment and scenario analysis will provide:
• an overview of physical and transition risks and their implications for AME
• the regulatory landscape for climate risk reporting
• the tools and methodologies for climate scenario analysis. 

This webinar is part of a series of regional sessions on various climate-related topics relevant to the needs of banks from AME.

Climate risk assessment and scenario analysis: Insights for banks in Africa and Middle East

Join us for the launch of the newest guidance documents from the Principles for Responsible Banking, designed to help banks move beyond analysis and target-setting, towards actionable implementation. This webinar will focus on how Client Engagement and Effective Governance can be used as tools to promote responsible banking progress. 

What you’ll learn:
• Client Engagement: Discover how banks can leverage client engagement to meet existing sustainability targets. This guidance offers sector-agnostic and theme-agnostic advice on effective client engagement for key sustainability topics. It discusses a structured approach for effective client engagement, covering both the internal setup and client engagement activities, in the form of an engagement cycle.

• Sustainability Governance: Gain insights into the governance structures, systems, and processes critical to delivering on environmental and social strategies. This guidance highlights effective practices among PRB signatory banks and integrates recommendations from leading sustainability standards, including TCFD, TNFD, and ISSB standards.

Beyond target-setting: Enabling tools to promote responsible banking progress

The MENA region is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with rising sea levels, rising temperatures, and water scarcity threatening social and economic stability in the region. With the release of two reports, UNEP FI explores the current state of climate action by banks in the region and the challenge for financial institutions in adapting to climate change.

Scaling private sector climate finance in the MENA region

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