Launched at Global Roundtable on 19-20 October 2011 in Washington DC, the UNEP FI Guide to Banking and Sustainability provides a clause-by-clause explanation of the UNEP Statement of Commitment by Financial Institutions on Sustainable Development, seeking both to shed further light on the meaning of individual clauses, and to provide guidance on how banking institutions might seek to apply them in their day-to-day operations. The Guide further provides illustrations of current practice within UNEP FI Signatory banks, and references to key resources.
The tool results from consultations with a variety of UNEP FI members from the banking sector, who have identified a range of uses to the Guide, from Board level to operations:
- A clear and practical interpretation of the UNEP Statement for UNEP FI’s banking members, as well as a roadmap/benchmark against which to measure and orient their sustainability work
- An introduction to sustainable banking for practitioners, especially pioneers in emerging markets, who are seeking guidance on how to implement sustainability
- Support material for sustainability drivers and champions within banks with to build up the business case for sustainability within the organisation/ across different departments
- A tool to educate new staff (and refresh current staff) on sustainability issues
- A means for all stakeholder groups/the general public to better understand the intersection between banking and sustainability