The EIB West and Central Africa SME Banking and Microfinance Academy 2020-2021
Webinar series Topic 5: Sustainable and responsible finance: lending and investing with care for environmental and social impacts
20th May 2021, 01 pm (GMT) / 02 pm (Cotonou, Paris, Frankfurt, Douala, Kinshasa)
CONCEPT NOTE
Following the success of the first 4 webinars jointly organised by the IPC-Horus consortium with MFW4A, more sessions are planned for the second quarter.
Topics covered in the first series included the reinforcement of portfolio management in crisis times, the new normal for financial institutions, the acceleration of digitization in Covid times, Gender Finance. The 4 webinars gathered cumulatively more than 760 participants, with active questions and answers sessions, reflecting the quality of the panellists’ interventions and participants’ interest in learning more. Panellists were a mix of bankers/microfinance practitioners and subject matter experts. Participant’s satisfaction level was on average above 85%.
The webinar fifth will take place on May 20th, around the topic “Sustainable and responsible finance: lending and investing with care for environmental and social impacts”
The webinar will cover the need for FIs to contribute to sustainable development and social impact, in their lending or investing activities, by the way they function and treat their employees, their clients and their communities (including their suppliers). Increasingly, the financial sector worldwide is urged to consider the role it plays in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Panellists will also make recommendations on the type of policies and procedures FIs should have to promote environmental friendly and fair/equitable financial services practices, as well as the expected minimum standards to deal with customers and communities and empower consumers of financial services.
PS: The webinar will be held in French, with simultaneous translation into English.
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