Now More Than Ever...

The FT Sustainable Banking Conference, the major annual conference on sustainable banking and finance organised in partnership with IFC, this year is built around a theme of Now More than Ever..., reflecting on the one hand the urgent need for the financial sector to review traditional business models in the wake of the financial crisis, and on the other, the continuing urgency to find solutions to the social, environmental and corporate governance challenges facing the world today.

 
To regain public trust, the financial industry will need to revisit its role in society and deliver updated models that meet their customers' expectations of open, transparent businesses that demonstrably deliver value to society. A genuine commitment to sustainability, focused on long-term considerations around climate change, poverty alleviation, and the pursuit of solutions to energy, food and water shortages, could restore that trust, while also being a key competitive differentiator for banks and investment houses in a slowing economy.
 
Key themes to be addressed include:

  • Will trust in markets and the private sector be restored?
  • How can financial institutions drive creative solutions in an age of scarcity?
  • How will they compete against emerging new technology players as they launch innovative banking and financing channels?
  • How can access to finance be ensured on a more equitable and inclusive basis?
  • What can be done to maximise job creation for the poor during the economic crisis?
  • How can financial institutions compete successfully in the unbanked/underbanked sector?
  • Will the commercialisation of lending to the poor help or hinder the fight against poverty?
Now in their fourth successful year, the Sustainable Banking Conference and Awards are widely recognised as the leading event where top decision-makers and visionaries from across the global financial services industry, their stakeholders, and thought leaders from civil society organisations meet to discuss the role the financial sector can play in providing durable solutions to the world's most pressing issues.

Speakers at the Conference include:

Lars Thunell, Executive Vice President and CEO, IFC
Fabio Barbosa, President, Grupo Santander Brasil
Beet Heemskerk, Chairman, Rabobank International
Simon Zadek, CEO, AccountAbility
Alex Counts, President and CEO, Grameen Foundation
Prof Jules Pretty OBE, Professor of Environment and Society, University of Essex
Tom Scholar, Second Permanent Secretary, UK Treasury