The Global Ethical Finance Initiative is committed to convening leading experts and thought leaders in support of positive change to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Our events bring together government, the finance sector and civil society to consider and curate content that impacts change in the financial sector.
We welcome those who share our purpose to our leading events.
Key Events

Ethical Finance Global 2024 Summit
Ethical Finance Global 2024 will be returning to Edinburgh for its 9th edition. The 2024 summit will take place on Wednesday 25th September, with SDG Hive events taking place around the margins of the summit. Next year’s gathering is set to carry on the spirit of open, honest debate and frank self-reflection that has come to characterise Ethical Finance Global.
SDG Hive
The Hive is a global programme convening stakeholders around the aim of driving private capital towards achieving the SDGs.
It is held throughout the year during various key events and consists of a series of workshops, power roundtables and hackathons held with industry experts and global leaders.
Ethical Finance Round Table
Focused exchanges between expert practitioners advance good ideas and drive progress.
Based in Edinburgh, the Ethical Finance Round Tables are the longest-running technical discussion platform to enable the sharing of best practice.
The Radical Old Idea
The world is rethinking the belief that only unfettered financial markets deliver the best outcomes for society. Inclusive growth and reconciling profit with purpose are key challenges of our time.
Building on the legacy of Scotland’s great thinkers, the Radical Old Idea is a platform to debate systemic, big-picture issues and enable a radical past to drive a sustainable future.
Islamic Finance Summit
Hosted in London and virtually, the Islamic Finance Summit unpacks maqasid al shariah through an ESG lens and identifies where conventional sustainability trends can benefit from the multi-$trn high growth global Islamic finance industry.
Our Event Timeline
Featured Event:

Ethical Finance Global 2023 & SDG Hive
19th to 21st September 2023, NatWest Group, Edinburgh
Our annual in-person summit Ethical Finance Global 2023 will tackle these issues and more on Wednesday 20th September 2023 in Edinburgh, hosted by NatWest Group. Across four core thematics of climate, nature, the S in ESG and leadership the summit will explore topics including overcoming greenwashing, climate justice, embedding sustainability skills, integrating nature, sustainable food systems and the incorporation of human rights.
Upcoming Events:

Our annual in-person summit Ethical Finance Global 2023 will tackle these issues and more on Wednesday 20th September 2023 in Edinburgh, hosted by NatWest Group. Across four core thematics of climate, nature, the S in ESG and leadership the summit will explore topics including overcoming greenwashing, climate justice, embedding sustainability skills, integrating nature, sustainable food systems and the incorporation of human rights.

During COP28, we will be exploring the work of two famed economists and philosophers in light of the climate crisis. During COP28 on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of December in Dubai, GEFI are hosting a series of evening lectures on Scottish Enlightenment economist Adam Smith and famed Arab social theorist Ibn Khaldun, tackling their views on profit and purpose, their understanding of the rise and fall of empires, and their approaches to solving collective problems.
The series builds upon our work Glasgow’s COP26, where we hosted a similar series focused on Adam Smith, and published our Wealth of Nations in the 21st Century essay series, which explored how his theories could be applied to contemporary economic challenges such as the climate crisis.

The time for gradual changes is over: we need to finance our survival. Wildfires have raged across Europe for a second successive summer. Across the world, pressure is being put on scare water, agricultural land and endangered species.
With the global stocktake taking place during COP28, we have developed our COP28 Climate Finance Summit in consultation with the COP28 team, bringing together leading bankers, asset managers, regulators, multilaterals and more to understand how we can finance survival.

During COP28, we will be exploring the work of two famed economists and philosophers in light of the climate crisis. During COP28 on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of December in Dubai, GEFI are hosting a series of evening lectures on Scottish Enlightenment economist Adam Smith and famed Arab social theorist Ibn Khaldun, tackling their views on profit and purpose, their understanding of the rise and fall of empires, and their approaches to solving collective problems.
The series builds upon our work Glasgow’s COP26, where we hosted a similar series focused on Adam Smith, and published our Wealth of Nations in the 21st Century essay series, which explored how his theories could be applied to contemporary economic challenges such as the climate crisis.

As COP28 comes to Dubai, all eyes will be on the Islamic finance industry. Interest-free, Shariah compliant finance remains a largely untapped pool of capital for sustainability. This event explores how the two value-driven forms of finance can be aligned through new standards and improved practices.

During COP28, we will be exploring the work of two famed economists and philosophers in light of the climate crisis. During COP28 on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of December in Dubai, GEFI are hosting a series of evening lectures on Scottish Enlightenment economist Adam Smith and famed Arab social theorist Ibn Khaldun, tackling their views on profit and purpose, their understanding of the rise and fall of empires, and their approaches to solving collective problems.
The series builds upon our work Glasgow’s COP26, where we hosted a similar series focused on Adam Smith, and published our Wealth of Nations in the 21st Century essay series, which explored how his theories could be applied to contemporary economic challenges such as the climate crisis.

During COP28, our SDG Hive series provides a platform for high-impact discussions around select COP28 themes. The sessions build upon the SDG Hive from our annual Ethical Finance Global summit, and provide finance practitioners with the skills they need to address the climate crisis and achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

During COP28, our SDG Hive series provides a platform for high-impact discussions around select COP28 themes. The sessions build upon the SDG Hive from our annual Ethical Finance Global summit, and provide finance practitioners with the skills they need to address the climate crisis and achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Completed Events:

UN PRB Roundtable
6th June 2023, 09:00-10:30 (GST), PwC, Emaar Square, Building 5, Dubai
Working with the banking community the UN PRB seek to accelerate a positive global transition for people and the planet. With over 300 signatory banks representing almost half of the global banking industry, the Principles are the world’s foremost sustainable banking framework. We are convening a high level roundtable discussion by invitation to explore the future of banking and the implications of this work for COP28.

PRI Roundtable
6th June 2023, 12:30-14:00 (GST), PwC, Emaar Square, Building 5, Dubai
The PRI work to achieve a sustainable global financial system by encouraging adoption of the Principles and collaboration on their implementation; by fostering good governance, integrity and accountability; and by addressing obstacles to a sustainable financial system that lie within market practices, structures and regulation. we are convening a high level roundtable to discuss this work and the implications for COP28.

As part of our ongoing partnership with DIFC, we will continue our high level discussions relating to the importance of delivering positive change to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.


Just Transition Roundtable
7th June 2023, 12.30-14:00 (GST), DIFC, Dubai
The Just Transition is a comprehensive approach that aims to address the social, economic, and environmental impacts of transitioning from a fossil-fuel-based economy to a sustainable and renewable energy future. It recognises that this transition can have significant implications for workers, communities, and vulnerable populations, and seeks to ensure that the shift is fair, inclusive, and equitable. GEFI are convening a high level roundtable by invitation only, exploring the latest thought leadership in this important sphere of work.

In this Climate Finance Training Series, offered jointly by DIFC Academy and the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) as part of the Path to COP28 campaign, we will help finance practitioners to understand the COP process, global trends in climate finance and best practice approaches to developing and implementing net zero strategies.

Islamic Finance Roundtable
8th June 2023, 13.00-14.15 GST, DIFC Precinct, Building 1 (Standard Chartered Building), Level 5 - S&P Global Offices, Dubai
Since its inception in the 1970s, the faith-based Islamic finance industry has grown to almost $3 trillion globally, and its focus on tangible assets offers strong potential to support climate action. Addressing the climate emergency will require all the funding possible from as many diverse sources as possible. Islamic climate finance instruments could help in Asia and in many other parts of the world. Global Ethical Finance Initiative, in partnership with the UKIFC, will be convening an Islamic Finance power round table to explore the opportunities COP28 presents to drive action in the sector. This will include insights from UKIFC / GEFI’s Tayyib (Islamic investment) project, green sukuk opportunities, Islamic Financial Institution engagement in global initiatives and frameworks and approaches to climate finance.

The past century has seen the emergence of a new economic and social consensus. Our societies were once ruled by faith values, but in their place now stands the market. With the economic worldview chairing the board, and finance acting as the CEO, neoliberal society has delegated ethical decision making to the commercial logic of the market.
How did this happen? Is it a good thing? What can we learn from once-dominant faith perspectives that might once again place ethical codes above the commercial imperative? This event will bring together commentators and experts from different faith traditions to understand how values can be integrated into finance, and what this might look like in a pluralistic society.
Next Event

Ethical Finance Round Table
16 May from 12:30 BST; Edinburgh and Online
Join us in Edinburgh or online on 16 May from 12:30 BST for our latest Ethical Finance Round Table, exploring Net Zero Pensions and launching our report on the LGPS sector in Scotland.
Read about our previous events
Radical Uncertainty with Sir John Kay
Events,Radical Old Idea,News From GEFI
January 30, 2023
0 Comments2 Minutes
