RFI Summit 2018 is partnering with the leading global environmental authority to increase links between faith-based finance & environmental impact
Zurich, Switzerland, April 9, 2018 – The organizers of the Responsible Finance & Investment Summit are pleased to announce the support of the UN Environment Programme (UN Environment) which will co-convene the pre-Summit roundtable to bring together faith organizations to support faith-based finance in support of sustainable development.
The development of UN Environment’s Strategy for Engaging with Faith-Based Organizations, will make the Summit discussions inclusive to a wider range of faith-based financial institutions and stakeholders around the theme of “Impact Finance and Technology”.
In addition to participating across the RFI Summit, UN Environment is co-organizing a pre-Summit roundtable on “Faith-Consistent Financing Prospects to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. More faith-based organizations are becoming more active to bring a strong, consistent message of the link between their shared ethical values and changes needed to achieve the SDGs. The roundtable will explore opportunities for faith-based financial institutions and asset owners to promote common efforts that can increase their collective impact in line with their shared values.
The RFI Foundation, one of the organizers of the Summit is supporting the link between Islamic finance and responsible finance; in 2016 they participated in the UN Environment Programme – Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Global Roundtable in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. During that event, RFI Foundation organized a panel discussion with prominent leaders from the Islamic finance industry to highlight areas where Islamic Finance principles most closely align with wider concepts of sustainability.
Iyad Abumoghli, Principal Advisor for Strategic Engagement with Faith-based Organizations at UN Environment said: “We have launched an innovative strategy to engage and partner with faith-based organizations to deliver on the SDGs. We are excited to partner with the RFI Summit, which has developed into a leading platform for encouraging dialogue between faith-based institutions and the financial sector in support of our common interest in supporting the achievement of Agenda 2030.”
Blake Goud, CEO of the Responsible Finance & Investment (RFI) Foundation added: “In the several years we have engaged with UN Environment, we have found their work to be very successful in promoting knowledge and building capacity within the financial sector to engage more effectively on sustainable development. We are excited to support their new strategy for engaging with faith-based institutions who we believe share common values in driving changes for greater impact in responsible finance”
Mounir Khouzami, Co-Founder & President of Swiss Arab Network said: “Adding UN Environment to our event has the potential to bring in an important voice advocating for addressing environmental issues. We believe their engagement with the RFI Summit enhances the credibility of the platform for responsible finance that we have been building with the RFI Foundation.”
About the Responsible Finance & Investment Summit 2018
The Summit, to be held on 26 and 27 April 2018 at the Atlantis Hotel by Giardino in Zurich, Switzerland, brings together key stakeholders within responsible finance to build connections to new growth opportunities and more measurable impact. The RFI Summit will play a vital role in connecting representatives from across the responsible finance industry to build on the growing cooperation between SRI, ESG and Islamic finance. The RFI Summit in Zurich is an initiative of the RFI Foundation and Swiss Arab Network to build awareness of shared values that can bring socially responsible investing (SRI), environmental, social and governance (ESG) and Islamic finance together to increase their positive impact.
About RFI Foundation
The RFI Foundation is a non-profit organisation with a mission to identify a neutral, nonpartisan and universal value proposition that encourages convergence of responsible finance practices. RFI evolves Sustainable, Responsible, Impact Investing (SRI), Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and the Islamic finance sectors towards a convergence of their shared standards, and engages stakeholders to build the responsible finance industry as a catalyst to support equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic development. Visit us at www.rfi-foundation.org
About Swiss Arab Network
The Swiss Arab Network (SAN) is a non-profit networking organisation with headquarter in Zurich and affiliations in the Arab world that strives to bridge gaps, promote sustainable exchange and intensify the mutual understanding among Swiss and Arab people. SAN is a networking platform and organises events and gives speeches on topics like Swiss and Arab finance, business, culture, art and film. Established and high-profile organisations from Switzerland and the Arab world are members of the network. Visit us at www.swissarab.org
Media Contacts
- Blake Goud, Chief Executive Officer, RFI Foundation:
blake.goud@rfi-foundation.org, www.rfi-foundation.org - Mounir Khouzami, Co-Founder & President of the Swiss Arab Network: mounir.khouzami@swissarab.org, www.swissarab.org
