08/06/21

GUERNSEY: Details of Day 1 of Sustainable Finance Week revealed.

Press release from Guernsey Finance on Tuesday 8 June, 2021.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has sent his best wishes for a successful conference to Guernsey Finance at the start of its Sustainable Finance Week event. 

The prince also asked that his Sustainable Markets Initiative video be shown.  

The five-minute film, which was played at the launch of the three-day event, captures the Prince’s vision and mission at the present time, including his focus on recovery and desire for those who share similar goals to join him as part of his ‘coalition of the willing’. 

Stephanie Glover, Green Finance Manager at Guernsey Finance, said it was an honour to know that the Prince was aware of Sustainable Finance Week and had taken time out of his busy schedule to convey his best wishes.  

“The Prince of Wales is a lifelong supporter of many environmental causes and a fervent advocate for extending universal rights to nature.  

“He is a powerful supporter for building sustainability into every aspect of the economy. 

“It was wonderful to begin the event by showing this incredibly stirring short film, which undoubtedly made an impact on the audience.” 

Sustainable Finance Week heralded a re-start of physical events for the agency, with an audience watching live in Guernsey and online, blending on-stage speakers with guests from across the globe.  

It was organised by Guernsey Finance, the promotional agency for Guernsey’s financial services industry under the brand WE ARE GUERNSEY. 

Each of the three days has a different focus, with day one’s discussions centering on key drivers in public policy, future regulations around sustainability, and in relation to sustainable portfolios, the decision-making process and impact of reporting and measurement requirements. 

There were keynote speeches from former UK Minister for climate and energy Claire O’Neill and Dr Ben Caldecott, founder director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme.  

Claire O’Neill’s speech set the scene, looking at the global picture in the year of COP26 later in the year and what the goals and aspirations for green finance are across the next decade.  

She said: “We have made extraordinary progress in cutting greenhouse emissions since 1990, sustainability is going mainstream. It is front and centre of the conversation about capitalism going forward and I think that gives us extraordinary momentum and opportunities and a chance to take us forward in a positive way.” 

Dr Ben Caldecott, founding Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme and Director of the UK Centre for Greening Finance and Investment, spoke of the importance of collaboration between private and public capital.  

“I think, with the recovery, and other issues like climate adaption and resilience it is really important for public and private sectors to work together.”