Environment House

UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP/FI)

UNEP Finance Initiative
International Environment House
11-13 chemin des Anémones
CH-1219 Châtelaine (Geneva)

Website: www.unepfi.org
Telephone: (+41 22) 917 81 78
Fax: (+41 22) 796 92 40
Email: fi@unep.ch

Contact: Ken Maguire

Description

UNEP/FI is a unit of UNEP’s Economics and Trade Branch. Its mission is to identify and promote best practice with regard to the environment and sustainability for financial institutions. The Initiative’s origins go back to 1991, when UNEP started working with a small group of commercial banks to catalyse the industry’s response to the environmental agenda. In May 1992, just before the Rio Summit, a number of leading banks became signatories to the UNEP Statement by Banks on the Environment and Sustainable Development. In 1995, UNEP joined forces with the insurance sector to launch the UNEP Statement of Environmental Commitment by the Insurance Industry. Today UNEP/FI works closely with approximately 165 commercial banks, investment banks, insurance and re-insurance companies, fund managers and venture capital funds to promote linkages between the respective objectives of environment and finance.

Activities

It delivers products ranging from professional development programmes and action-oriented reports to major international conferences that bring together financial professionals from around the globe. UNEP/FI also opens up a vast network of sustainable development contacts and information and networking services.

Type of organisation:	Intergovernmental organizations
Established:	1992
Number of staff:	18
Head/Director:	Head of Unit: Paul Clements-Hunt

Cooperation

UNEP/FI works with numerous financial institutions at the national, regional and global levels. It has set up Task Forces in Africa, Asia Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and North America. UNEP/FI works with governments, academia and a number of multi-stakeholder groups.

Publications

0.618 (quarterly); Challenges of Water Scarcity - A Business Case for Financial Institutions; CEO briefing - Finance for Carbon Solutions; The Materiality of Social, Environmental and Corporate Governance Issues to Equity Pricing. See the website.

Keywords

business & environment, capacity building, economic instruments, trade & environment

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