Sustainable Finance

It is widely accepted that the vast cost of transitioning to a sustainable and climate-resilient world economy is beyond the capacity of the public sector alone and that private capital will have to play a key role if sustainability objectives are to be met. In this context, the EU is developing harmonised standards for sustainable finance over the coming years and has already introduced significant legislation with respect to the meaning of sustainability and disclosure requirements. Further developments are anticipated, including with respect to non-financial reporting, corporate governance, and the supervisory and prudential framework to which financial institutions are subject. It is clear that the evolving EU framework will be relevant, directly or indirectly, to businesses both in the financial sector and the real economy. Understanding the rapidly developing legal and regulatory environment must be a strategic key priority for those businesses to enable them to continue to prosper.