What is Sustainable Financing: who’s got it, who wants it & who’s selling it?

ESG, SDGs, SROI, CSR, TCFD—what does it all mean!?

Sustainable finance helps imbed sustainable economic growth into firms by taking into account environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria when making business and investment decisions. The broad range of thematic areas that ESG can encompass, and the evolving market of sustainable finance, makes navigating the challenges and opportunities to the wider financial services sector increasingly complicated.

This seminar will delve into why sustainable finance should no longer be regarded as just a ‘nice to have’ for the financial sector and will provide insights on what impact and implications ESG criteria are having in the business community. In it, will be a discussion of:

• What is sustainable finance?
• To what extent is it gaining momentum both internationally and in Japan?
• What are the regulatory and market drivers?
• What are the key incentives? What challenges are there in its implementation?
• How might voluntary disclosures aligned with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), be used to gauge corporate performance?

Heather McLeish

Heather McLeish is a Senior Manager in EY Japan’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice and advises on sustainable development and related business opportunities. Her work focuses on: institutional investors’ demand for better disclosure and reporting on non-financial risks; aligning business activities with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and associated reporting to demonstrate the impact and practical applications in the financial services industry, particularly in Japan.

Heather began her career in Silicon Valley in the venture capital industry before moving to Japan and working on building, launching and expanding small businesses. She has subsequently lived and worked in Hong Kong and Tokyo and over the last 10 years has developed her career in financial services and real estate and been involved in projects across Asia including Australia, Vietnam and Singapore.