GABV partners with GEFF2015 event to grow values-based banking

The Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) is proud to have participated as an associated partner at the Global Ethical Finance Forum (GEFF2015) in Edinburgh, Scotland at the beginning of September. I also had the personal pleasure of participating as a speaker in the inaugural plenary session on Making the Case for Values in a Post-Financial Crisis World.

It’s always great to see appetite and activity building around the concept of values-based banking (also known as ethical, regenerative, or sustainable banking), and the GEFF2015  event really highlighted this trend.  

Hosted by the Scottish government and organized by Middle East Global Advisors with the cooperation of Thomson Reuters; the event focused on Convergence and Collaboration by calling for the harmonization of approaches to ethical and responsible finance across the world. More than 65 global leaders and 250 participants including bankers, asset managers, central bankers, pioneers in standards, issuers of green bonds and global networks; participated in ground-breaking dialogue on the future of the ethical finance industry, with a more in-depth look at ethical Islamic finance.

The main conclusions of the event are very much in line with the work and aspirations of the GABV.  Two of which are important to highlight:

-       The need to build on the opportunity of convergence between the variety of approaches in ethical finance e.g. Socially Responsible Investing (SRI); values-based or ethical banking; environmental, social and governance sectors; and the faith-based finance sectors. By building a harmonized approach we will increase collaboration, awareness and appetite for this type of financing.

-       The need to develop common standards and principles for the industry that will support this harmonization.

The GABV is already playing a role in the convergence of approaches to responsible finance and in setting the standards for the industry. For example we have built and promote a common set of guidelines for values-based banking members through the Six Principles of Sustainable banking, and in developing a banking Scorecard that we anticipate will become the common standard for all banks reporting on banking operations based on the above principles.

No less important is the work of the GABV in other fields: initiating the SFRE Fund to  deploy much needed growth capital to values-based banking institutions across the world, which helps GABV members and non-member financial institutions create more economic, social and environmental impact; and initiatives like the Leadership Academy that’s training the next generation of values based banking leaders.