United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Finance Initiative
Environmental issues have clearly become a new factor driving commercial risks and opportunities in the international financial services sector. In recognition of this fact, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established its Finance Initiative (FI) in 1992 to promote sustainable development and environmentally sound business practices across the financial services sector.
Latest additions to this section
- Australasian UNEP Finance Initiative Newsletter issue Number 16, July 2009 (PDF 832KB)
- Australasian UNEP Finance Initiative Newsletter issue 15, December 2008 (PDF 412KB)
- Australasian UNEP Finance Initiative Newsletter issue 14, February 2008 (PDF 717KB)
- UNEP Finance Initiative Sustainable Supply Chain Management Project (PDF 42KB)
- Australasian UNEP Finance Initiative Newsletter issue 13, March 2007 (PDF 718KB)
- Australasian UNEP Finance Initiative Newsletter issue 12, September 2006 (PDF 414KB)
UNEP Finance Initiative and EPA
EPA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UNEP to co-ordinate and promote its Finance Initiative activities in Australasia.
The environment and the finance sector
Many international financial institutions routinely assess the environmental risks associated with their products and services. Consequently they are beginning to alter their corporate lending practices, offer investment options that favour environmentally and/or socially responsible companies, adjust insurance premiums to reflect environmental risk and embrace sustainability principles across their internal procedures.
More about the areas where environmental risks are being assessed in financial institutions
Australasian advisory committees
One of the key initiatives under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was to establish advisory committees. These committees are made up of financial institution representatives to advise EPA and UNEP on the nature of activities and programs to run in Australasia.
Asia Pacific signatories
Signatories to the UNEP FI in the Asia Pacific region include organisations from Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, The Philippines, South Korea and Thailand.
Newsletters and publications
This section has guidance material to help financial institutions integrate sustainability into all aspects of their operations. UNEP FI and EPA also publish regular newsletters providing up-to-date information on sustainability developments in the finance sector.
Links
This section provides links to websites focused on socially responsible investment (SRI) research and products, asset management, climate change and corporate reporting.
Events
This website provides information on events promoted or supported by UNEP FI and EPA.
Contact details
For more information about UNEP FI's activities in Australasia, please contact EPA.
