L'oeil de la Genève Internationale
October 2017

In celebration of 25 years of "Changing finance and financing change", the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is convening the sustainable finance community at a series of five Regional Roundtables. On 16 and 17 October 2017, the European Roundtable is held in Geneva, home of the UNEP FI secretariat.

These agenda-setting events provide an opportunity for leaders from across the financial sector, civil society, academia, government, and the United Nations to discuss the latest trends and innovations in the region, as well as share good practice. Elliott Harris, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment, now a member of UNEP FI's Global Steering Committee will be speaking at the Europe Roundtable. A full list of all the speakers can be found on the Europe Roundtable speakers' page.

A few agenda highlights include the following:
• Panel session on the Progress in Sustainable Finance (and the Long Road Ahead)
• Plenary session on the topic of the Paris Agreement, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and beyond: managing risk, seizing opportunity & enabling the climate economic transition
• Dialogue on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Finance
• Side Event organized by Swiss Sustainable Finance on Wealth Management with Impact

UNEP FI is a partnership between the United Nations and the global financial sector dating back to the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Realising that the finance industry has a key role to play in fostering a sustainable future for the planet, UNEP FI's mission is to promote sustainable finance and encourage resilient financial institutions. Today, over 200 financial institutions across the banking, insurance, and investment sectors are members of UNEP FI.

In this picture, we can see an energy efficiency project supported by The Asian Development Bank in the Philippines. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) are being tested at the Lighting and Appliance Testing Laboratory. The Energy Efficiency Project has distributed compact fluorescent lamps nationwide. Each CFL bulb is expected to save customers 400 pesos, (around $8.50) each year for the next 7 to 10 years.

Source: UNEP FI and Asian Development Bank