May 14, 2025 – On March 27, the Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN) hosted the Sustainable Finance Taxonomies Roundtable in Johannesburg, South Africa. Held on the sidelines of the Africa Sustainability Forum, organized by the Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI), the Roundtable brought together regional and local policymakers, practitioners, and experts in sustainable finance taxonomies.
The discussion focused on identifying key opportunities for greater harmonization and effective implementation of taxonomies. Nearly 20 participants emphasized the need for increased interoperability between existing and new sustainable finance taxonomies in the region and globally, underscoring its importance for facilitating cross-border investments and alignment with global standards.
The Roundtable provided an opportunity to learn about recent developments, challenges, and offer practical solutions to enhance collaboration and alignment in taxonomy development and application.
The discussion forms part of the implementation of the Roadmap for Advancing Interoperability and Comparability of Sustainable Finance Taxonomies (Taxonomy Roadmap). Launched during COP29 in Azerbaijan in November 2024, the initiative is a joint effort by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBAR), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the International Platform on Sustainable Finance (IPSF).
As next steps, the participants called on the organizers to establish platforms for more effective regional knowledge sharing, explore how taxonomies can better support the Just Energy Transition, and how to reduce the complexity and reporting burden for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).