This webinar focuses on disclosure by financial institutions and green bond issuers, and is oranized into two sessions. Speakers from commercial banks, asset managers, MDBs, the academia and international organizations stated that the COVID-19 outbreak have made investors more aware of the importance of green and sustainable development. Iberdrola, the Spanish utilities company, received 11.5 times over-subscription for its most recent issuance of green bonds. Speakers also pointed out during the webinar that the size of responsible investment worldwide has already reached USD30 trillion, and is estimated to grow by 34 percent to reach USD40 trillion by 2021. However, the lack of consistency in disclosing ESG data poses a major barrier to the further growth of responsible investment. Although many countries and international organizations have released guidance on disclosing environment-sensitive information, the inconsistencies of standards and differences in data granularity and quality are hindering the improvement of companies’ ESG performances, the decision making of investors and analyses by research institutions. The webinar was co-hosted by IFC-supported Sustainable Banking Network (SBN), Tsinghua University Green Finance Center and World Bank Global Knowledge and Research Hub in Malaysia, supported by UK PACT. Jointly launched by the IFC-supported SBN and Tsinghua University in 2018, the Global Green Finance Leadership Program (GFLP) successfully held five events and covered more than 600 participants from 59 countries and regions around the world, mostly from the emerging economies.   

Speakers:

● Arsalaan Oz Ahmed, CEO HSBC Amanah Malaysia

● Frédéric Samama, Co-Head Institutional Clients Coverage, Amundi

● Tan Ai Chin, Head of Global Investment Banking & Corporate Development, OCBC Bank Malaysia

● GENG Crystal, ESG Expert, Ping An Group

Presentations:

● Environmental Information Disclosure by Financial Institutions_Amundi Frédéric Samama 

● Environmental Information Disclosure by Financial Institutions_HSBC 

● Environmental Information Disclosure by Green Bond Issuers_OCBC 

● ESG & Climate change in Ping An Group