On December 3, 2024, the 12th China SIF Annual Conference was successfully held in Beijing. The conference was hosted by SynTao Green Finance, with co-hosts from the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative (UN SSE). Many experts from regulatory bodies, markets, academia, and international organisations have expressed their views and discussed the 20-year development of ESG investment and the opportunities and challenges of responsible investment in China.
This Annual Conference organised a roundtable discussion on market theme. The session is moderated by Valerie KWAN, Director of Stewardship & Corporate Engagement at the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC).
Dr. Esma Nizam ABDUL SAMAD, Senior Vice President of Governance, Risk, and Compliance and Head of the Governance and Corporate Risk Unit at Khazanah Nasional Berhad highlighted in his talk that climate change impacts are not homogenous, underscoring the need to recognise complex vulnerabilities that encompass cultural, historical, socioeconomic, and political contexts when developing adaptation plans. This requires a collaborative, co-learning approach with local communities to create comprehensive climate adaptation policies. Achieving the whole-of-nation objective and the intended global outcomes will require significant time, engagement, and resources from various parties.
Dr. Roman NOVOZHILOV, Head of ESG, New Development Bank (NDB) mentioned that ESG and sustainable finance had evolved in the past twenty years from being a unique niche approach by multilateral development banks, such as the New Development Bank, into a wide range of strategies used by a diverse range of investors and issuers. A rapid development of ESG and sustainable finance in China is facilitated by supportive regulatory frameworks and increasing interest by local investors. While China has become a world leader in some aspects of sustainable finance and is aiming to converge its sustainability frameworks with international standards, sustainable finance in China also reflect unique country characteristics thus enriching international sustainable finance practices.
Ricco ZHANG, Senior Director, Asia Pacific, International Capital Market Association (ICMA), stated in his sharing, that it will highly rely on the transition finance, especially for the hard-to-abate sectors to achieve the carbon neutrality goals.
Nicky DANG, Senior Vice President, Credit Strategy and Research, Moody's Ratings was also a panelist and she said that mandatory climate disclosure will increase compliance costs but can help Chinese companies strengthen risk management practices and maintain access to international markets.
Valerie concluded this panel session by saying that she found the interaction with panelists had been the most insightful. The opportunity to take a brief moment to reflect on the tremendous progress in ESG from a time when it was a concept to stay relevant to now having seen the conversation transcend into a strategic imperative both from an investment risk and opportunities perspective is a rewarding experience.
We would like to thank our strategic partners Moody's, AXA SPDB Investment Managers, and partners Sungent Urban Development, Huatai Securities for their support of the 12th China SIF Annual Conference. The supporting organisations: include Bank of Jiangsu; SynTao Consulting; Beijing Enterprise Confederation; CDP China; Global Environmental Institute (GEI); Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI); FAIRR Initiative; Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC). The media partners include Sina Finance; The Economic Observer; Caijing Magazine; Stockstar; China Fund News; Jiemian News; Weekly on Stocks; WallStreetCN; Caixin Global; NetEase Finance; Huxiu; qeubee LIVE; Wind 3C Conference; iFinD. China SIF received support from Shanghai Cailian Press; China Climate Engagement Initiative (CCEI); Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN); Beijing Credit Association; Institute of Finance and Sustainability (IFS); Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI); Aegon Industrial Fund; Yuze Charity; Gems of Wisdom Consulting; BNP Paribas ABC Wealth; CCM CSR Promotion Centre; School of Management and Economics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen; CUEB China ESG Institute; Shenzhen Finance Institute, etc. We extend our heartfelt thanks for their support.
The 12th China SIF Annual Conference serves as the flagship event of the 2024 China SIF Week. Additionally, China SIF Week comprises 9 side events, encompassing a wide range of topics. as The 6th Media Training Workshop on ESG & Green Finance: Capital Market Trends under Green and Low-Carbon Transition, Academic Workshop on ESG, Sustainable Stock Exchange Roundtable (SSER), Seminar on Climate Mitigation Journey and Transition for Financial Institutions, Unlocking Potential Climate Investment: Transition Opportunities in the Energy and Agriculture Sectors, Seminar on ESG Vitality and Impact Investment and Financing: Sustainable Disclosure for Better Business Impact Investment and Financing Development, CCEI Just Transition Seminar Session 3: Just Transition Consideration for Different Sectors and Geographies, China Climate Engagement Initiative (CCEI) Enterprise Visit, and more. Furthermore, China SIF Week also organised working meetings for domestic and international organizations such as CCEI, AIGCC.
Please feel free to follow the China SIF WeChat official account (ChinaSIF), as well as the official account of the organizer, SynTao Green Finance (syntaogf).
For inquiries regarding cooperation intentions with China SIF or requests for information, please contact the organizer at: contact@syntaogf.com.
About China SIF
China Sustainable Investment Forum (China SIF), established in Beijing as a non-profit organisation in 2012, is dedicated to promoting responsible investment and providing an internationalised platform for exchanging and sharing ideas on issues concerning sustainable development, with focus on facilitating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) integration, advocating green finance, and contributing to a responsible capital market in China as well as its sustainability.
As a member of the Global SIFs Network, China SIF organises Annual Conferences, Summer Summits, SIF Weeks and a series of featured seminars and webinars annually, convening policymakers as well as domestic and foreign experts to share their views, research, and good practice. Professionals and practitioners from research institutes, financial institutions, listed companies, government agencies, and media representatives have joined our discussion and endeavour to explore multiple ways to promote and practice responsible investment and green finance.
China SIF keeps launching a series of landmark research reports, such as China Sustainable Investment Review, supporting the Dissertation Competition on ESG and Sustainable Finance and developing the "ESG Online Classes" series of educational videos together with partners and industry experts to promote ESG investment concepts and practices. Over the years, China SIF has become one of the most influential responsible investment forums in the region.
Please visit https://en.chinasif.org/ for more information.
