NEWS RELEASE FROM THE GLOBAL ETHICAL FINANCE INITIATIVE
EMBARGO: IMMEDIATE
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT TO PARTNER ‘PATH TO COP26’ CAMPAIGN.
The Scottish Government has announced it will be a campaign partner for the ‘Path to COP26’ campaign to demonstrate to the world that Scotland is playing a leading role in the shift towards more environmentally responsible and sustainable finance. Led by the Global Ethical Finance Initiative, the campaign has united major financial services institutions representing over £2trn in assets for a programme including over 30 activities ahead of COP26.
This includes Ethical Finance 2021, a flagship global summit to be convened virtually from Scotland in June, with confirmed speakers including a former COP President, head of the UN Environment Programme and CEOs and financial services leaders from four continents.
Held in conjunction with the Scottish Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the summit will explore the long-term future of ethical finance, looking at the climate finance challenge, financing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and leadership in finance for the challenges ahead.
NatWest Group is the host partner, and the global event is supported by Chartered Banker and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. Confirmed speakers include Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Climate and Energy Global Practice Leader at WWF, COP20 President and a former Peruvian environment minister, Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme and David Pitt-Watson who co-chaired the finance discussions at the Paris climate summit.
The announcement comes after the Scottish Government yesterday unveiled its global capital investment plan, which aims to build a pipeline of ESG-ready (environmental, social and governance) projects that deliver for people and places in Scotland.
Ivan McKee, Minister for Trade, Innovation and Public Finance, said:
“The Scottish Government is delighted to further strengthen its relationship with the Global Ethical Finance Initiative.
“By providing support for a series of events on the road to COP26 showcasing Scotland’s investment opportunities, GEFI will help signal to the world that Scotland is leading the global movement towards investment which is socially and environmentally responsible.
“Scotland is already in a strong position in attracting ethical investment and GEFI, along with Scotland’s outstanding financial sector, is paving the way in this developing field of green finance.
“Our global capital investment plan reemphasises our commitment to Net Zero and a wellbeing economy, and we will continue to work with partners and investors who share our values as a nation, making Scotland the destination of choice for ESG investment.”
Omar Shaikh, co-founder of GEFI, said:
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s support for the Path to COP26 campaign. The flagship summit at the heart of this, Ethical Finance 2021, will be a crucial milestone for the finance industry ahead of COP26.
“We’ll be convening leading professionals from across finance, from banking, to asset management, to asset owners, so that we drive further action ahead of the UN summit in Glasgow in November.
“It’s time to move from talk to action.
“We have been working with Scottish Government, the UN and global financial institutions to position Scotland as a leader in ethical, sustainable finance to attract the global capital needed to support a successful and fair transition.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
More information on Path to COP26 is available here: www.pathtocop26.com
Ethical Finance 2021 – ethicalfinancesummit.com #EthicalFinance2021 will be held between Tuesday 8th – Thursday 10th June 2021 and is themed “Financing a Sustainable Future: Climate and Beyond”.
The world depends on global finance making the right choices to deliver positive change and achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. To deliver this change, we need to connect people and ideas, and the Ethical Finance Summit has a six-year history of driving action through frank, honest debate among a global coalition across financial services. Previous speakers have included First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Archbishop Justin Welby, NatWest Group CEO Alison Rose and UK Committee on Climate Change Chief Executive Chris Stark. The 2020 summit attracted over 1500 delegates from 96 countries.
Register free or find out more at www.ethicalfinancesummit.com
GEFI is a non-profit based in Scotland with a global footprint. We are dedicated to enabling finance to deliver positive change and help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Our core team has expertise in corporate finance, ethical finance, faith-based finance, sustainability, economics, banking law & governance and communications.
Find out more at www.globalethicalfinance.org
Chartered Banker have designated Ethical Finance 2021 for continuous professional development to enhance the learning content for their 30,000 members after completion of professional qualifications. See more at: www.charteredbanker.com