What is the Ethical Finance 2018 conference?
Trust in the values and culture of financial institutions and financial markets themselves are paramount for the future sustainability of capitalism. They are crucial to encouraging saving and promoting durable economic growth.
But this trust still needs to be built on and further embedded ten years on from the Global Financial Crisis that brought the world’s economies to the brink of collapse. Banks and investors working on their own values and principles, and in tandem with regulators and governments on responsible ‘rules of the road’ will be key to this.
As will the backing of some of the world’s most prominent asset owners and asset managers, which from a finance and ‘purpose’ perspective are intrinsically linked to the promotion of trust and values in finance.
Faith organisations are estimated to represent both directly and indirectly assets of some $7 trillion worldwide. That jumps to $13trn when you add in charities, endowments and philanthropic entities, making them both among the world's largest investor groups. Both groups are long-term holders of assets, invest with a strong ethical/goals-based foundation and use their money to solve societal problems and help improve the world.
They have also been among the prime movers in the sustainability of economies and financial markets and the growth of ethical finance and responsible investment.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has introduced a new framework against which faith and endowment investors can align their investments positively. In addition, they are among the leaders in the promotion of Blended Capital, the large-scale mobilisation of public and private capital for the social impact that is sorely needed to help solve some of the world’s deepest social and environmental challenges.
The question now is how to do so, and maintain/promote economic growth.
The Ethical Finance 2018 conference in Edinburgh on October 22/23 captures this duality of purpose: investing for return and social value.
The conference will explore how trust in a sustainable economy can be revitalised, and how faith, endowment investors, and asset managers are confronting societal and economic challenges and feeding into the biggest sustainable finance shifts of our time.
It will also get into the real detail of what faith and endowment investors are doing to drive sustainable finance, where they are unable to make progress yet and how they might overcome such barriers. Importantly, it will outline where the relationship between investor and finance/investment providers (banks, asset managers) is evolving to enable partnerships for long-term sustainable finance solutions.
Event partners:
RBS, Scottish Government & United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Edinburgh Castle Reception 22nd October:
By invitation only: Edinburgh Castle Evening Reception for conference attendees which will include the launch of the ‘Edinburgh Declaration', a shared values framework towards ethical finance. This event will be on Monday 22nd and organised by the Scottish Government and UKIFC.
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