@freepik
Climate finance is the key to ensure timely, just and scale-up actions to climate change. Financial institutions, especially commercial banks play an important role in providing sufficient funds and establishing a well-round financing mechanism. NRDC has been working with partners to facilitate the construction of climate friendly banks. On December 10, partnering with the Climate Investment and Finance Association (CIFA), NRDC held the 3rd annual international seminar on climate-friendly banks. Senior officials from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, leading experts from the UNEP Finance Initiative, PPP center of the Ministry of Finance, domestic and foreign banks, and local climate and investment pilot shared their insights and suggestions to foster the development of climate friendly banks and other financial institutions. The experts suggested that the government and regulators should guide and incentivize financial institutions to adjust their portfolios. They also need to improve the policy and support the pilot work in accordance with climate finance. The financial institutions themselves should innovate financial products and services in response to climate change. The disclosure of climate-related information, the enhancement of risk management capabilities and digitization are all crucial. In addition, financial institutions should pay attention to and actively participate in global initiatives, draw on international practice and experience, and support their clients in the transition/greening process.