Finance Sector Workshops
Promoting environmental and social management in the finance sector
Environmental and social standards play a particularly important
role in financing projects in developing and emerging market
countries. This is why DEG attaches great importance as regards the
compliance with internationally recognised standards for its
investments. In 2005, DEG started a series of programmes aimed at
sensitising clients from the finance sector for environmental and
social issues. A workshop for investment companies has recently
been held in Colombia, as was a seminar for commercial banks in
Ghana in 2008. In addition, DEG supports individual advisory
services by environmental consultants to implement tailor-made
solutions with the partner banks.
Copyright: DEG
Environmental and social issues are of major importance also in the finance sector. They have an influence on economic and image risks of the finance institutions, their market position and their refinancing possibilities. Banks and other financing institutions can assume the role of a disseminator when it comes to rolling out environmental and social standards in companies.
The workshops aim at outlining the importance of risks in the environmental and social area on the one hand, and at informing about the possibilities of introducing efficient environmental and social management systems, on the other. About 50 finance institutions have so far attended the seminars and individual training measures, among them commercial banks, investment and leasing companies from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Besides risk management, subjects like investment opportunities, corporate communication and change management are dealt with. Case studies are used to demonstrate the practical relevance, hands-on working aids such as a CD-ROM and checklists help the participants to apply what they have learned in the everyday business of their companies.
