Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN)

Viet Nam’s nearly 3,300-km long coastline makes the country extremely vulnerable to climate change. To expand the funding sources, support investors and accelerate green transition, the country issued the National Green Taxonomy on July 4, 2025. The new regulatory framework defines 45 eligible project types across seven sectors and establishes unified technical screening criteria to assess projects’ eligibility for green financing. To facilitate the uptake the framework  introduces flexible verification methods without jeopardizing transparency and credibility. This milestone marks a significant step forward for Viet Nam’s sustainable finance agenda and contributes to SBFN members’ commitment to scale up green financing globally. ➡️ Decision No. 21/2025/QĐ-TTg on Regulations on Environmental Criteria and Certification of Investment Projects under the Green Taxonomy: https://lnkd.in/dTc6ThMD ➡️Viet Nam’s Country Profile: https://lnkd.in/dSwt-ziM #VietNam #GreenFinance #GreenTaxonomy #SustainableFinance #SBFN

On July 24, 2025, Guatemala launched the Social Finance Taxonomy, the first standalone social taxonomy in Latin America. Developed with the contribution from the Banking Association of Guatemala, SBFN member, through the Guatemalan Sustainable Finance Advisory Council (CCFS), CentraRSE, and IDB Invest, the Taxonomy will guide investors in identifying and channeling finance to activities with positive social impact. The taxonomy promotes financial inclusion for MSMEs, which make up 95% of Guatemala’s business community, with a particular focus on women, youth, indigenous peoples, and other vulnerable groups. It offers practical Technical Evaluation Criteria and indicators to help users assess and classify economic activities, drawing on the IFC Performance Standards, ICMA’s Social Bond Principles, and other global standards. This pioneering initiative reflects Guatemala’s commitment to advancing sustainable finance and reinforces SBFN members’ collective efforts to promote responsible, socially aligned investment worldwide. ➡️ Guatemalan Social Finance Taxonomy: https://lnkd.in/eiDnt5Fv #Guatemala #SocialFinance #SustainableFinance #LAC #SBFN

SBFN half-a-year update is out, spotlighting publication, activities, events, and members updates: ✅ The launch of new publication “Leaving No One Behind: Unlocking Finance in Emerging Markets”, which defines key features of inclusive sustainable finance and proposes practical actions for policy-makers and industry associations. Read more: https://lnkd.in/er2PZ4XB ✅New SBFN members from Pakistan, Peru, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, and Southern Africa ✅ A launch of brand-new SBFN website with enhanced access to country data, publications, and tools. Access the website: https://lnkd.in/dvd_Ff82 ✅ Highlights from recent events and webinars, including updates from the COP29 Taxonomy Roadmap initiatives and our engagements at the SADC Sustainable Finance Forum and the Hamburg Sustainability Conference ✅Member updates from over 15 countries, showcasing new roadmaps, taxonomies, and disclosure guidelines launched in the past 6 months. ➡️ Read the updates: https://lnkd.in/dGpgyk8C #SustainableFinance #SBFN #ESG #ClimateFinance #InclusiveSustainableFinance

How can sustainable finance become truly inclusive? Our latest white paper, “𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘕𝘰 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥: 𝘜𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴,” explores how financial policymakers across EMDEs are expanding access to finance for women, MSMEs, rural communities, and other vulnerable groups and sectors. At the heart of it all? 5 building blocks of inclusive sustainable finance—a framework to prevent exclusion, promote innovation, and strengthen resilience. 📥 Download the report: https://lnkd.in/er2PZ4XB #InclusiveFinance #SustainableFinance #EmergingMarkets #FinancialInclusion #ClimateFinance #SBFN #ESG #DevelopmentFinance

How can sustainable finance be truly inclusive—and leave no one behind?   SBFN’s latest white paper, 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗼 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱: 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀, explores inclusive approaches to sustainable finance, drawing on practical lessons from emerging markets around the world.     The report presents a common definition of inclusive sustainable finance and showcases real-world examples, with insights on:  💡Ensuring the needs of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), women, and youth are not overlooked as we build greater resilience   💡Driving financial innovation to support climate adaptation 💡Fostering collaboration between regulators and the industry to strengthen policy coherence     ➡️Read the report: https://lnkd.in/er2PZ4XB   A special thank you to SBFN members Tanzania Bankers Association(TBA) , Central Bank Of Tunisia, FEBRABAN, Kenya Bankers Association, Central Bank of Jordan, Bank of Ghana, Central Bank of Egypt, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for sharing your approaches and valuable insights.  

We’re excited to announce that the Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN) has launched a new website—redesigned to better serve our global community of regulators, financial institutions, and sustainable finance practitioners. The new website will make it even easier to explore: 🌱 Country progress on sustainable finance 📊 The SBFN Data Portal 🛠️ Toolkits and publications 📰 A new hub for news, articles, and event highlights Whether you're looking for the latest insights or tracking sustainable finance progress across emerging markets, the new platform puts everything at your fingertips. ➡️Visit us now: sbfnetwork.org #SBFN #SustainableFinance #EmergingMarkets 

Yesterday, the Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN) wrapped up the inaugural SADC Sustainable Finance Forum 2025—three days of ambition, learning, and relationship-building. The Forum brought together global, regional, and local leaders from the public and private sectors, showcasing real-life examples of how to scale up climate finance in Southern Africa. 𝗢𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭, we proudly welcomed the @SADC Banking Association as SBFN’s 101st member, leading efforts to advance sustainable finance across its 12 member countries. 𝗢𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮, SBFN Global Coordinator Rong Zhang joined representatives from National Treasury of South Africa, Autorité Marocaine du Marché des Capitaux (AMMC), Central Bank of Egypt, UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub, and the Malawi Agricultural & Industrial Investment Corporation (MAIIC) to explore how sustainable finance can support national development goals and priorities. 𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘆, hosted by IFC’s Africa Green Banking Academy, the SBFN team joined climate, biodiversity, and investment experts to deliver a training session focused on how sustainable finance policies can unlock private capital for environmental and social resilience. A heartfelt thank you to all our African members for sharing your experiences and helping build strong momentum for sustainable finance across the region. Tanzania Bankers Association(TBA) | The Banking Association South Africa | Central Bank of Nigeria | Bank of Ghana | ABANC - Associação Angolana de Bancos South African Reserve Bank | 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗭𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮

On June 5th, the Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN) and IFRS Foundation co-hosted the webinar "𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗜I", the third session of the SBFN webinar series 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘈𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘐𝘍𝘙𝘚 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴. The session explored the key questions around jurisdictional readiness (when?) and disclosure requirements (what?) as countries prepare to adopt the ISSB Standards. Ms. Gülşah Günay from Public Oversight, Accounting and Auditing Standards Agency (KGK) and Ms. Bernardita Piedrabuena Keymer from Financial Market Commission (CMF) joined the session to share firsthand insights into their adoption journey.    Jonathan Bravo | Mosireletsi M Mogotlhwane FCA, MSc, CAMS | Gülşah Günay | Bernardita Piedrabuena Keymer | Jana Mudronova, PhD | Taeko Hagihara | Rong Zhang    💡 Key Takeaways: ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Jurisdictions must determine the extent of ISSB adoption, aiming for functional alignment that ensures equivalent investor-relevant information while minimizing modifications that could compromise comparability. Key disclosure requirements include governance, strategy, risk management, metrics & targets, materiality, GHG emissions (Scopes 1-3), financed emissions, and scenario analysis, in alignment with IFRS S1 and S2. ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Jurisdictions should carefully assess market readiness—considering factors like ecosystem familiarity, available expertise, resources, and technology—before determining when and how sustainability disclosure requirements should be applied, often adopting phased or scaled approaches (e.g., starting with larger or listed entities, or introducing select disclosure topics first). ✅ 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘆’𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: KGK has mandated assurance of sustainability reports, with KGK overseeing its implementation through auditor supervision and a phased approach that begins with limited assurance. This effort is supported by a comprehensive five-pillar capacity-building program, which has engaged over 21,000 stakeholders and aims to address key gaps in data integration, value chain analysis, and governance ownership. ✅ 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Chile will transition to full application of IFRS S1 and S2 by 2027, using a phased implementation approach based on company size and type, starting with voluntary reporting in 2022, large public companies in 2023, and full application across relevant entities by 2027. 📺 Watch the recording: https://lnkd.in/eum6csGf   👉 Webinar material: https://lnkd.in/e_zMvGUn   🌍 Past webinar series: https://lnkd.in/eFsHiSmu

We are pleased to welcome SADC BANKING ASOCIATION as our newest member. Today the two organizations signed a membership agreement welcoming SADC Banking Association (SADC BA) into the Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN). Signed on the side of the inaugural SADC Sustainable Finance Forum in Cape Town, South Africa, the agreement highlighted the SADC BA’s role in leading collective actions to scale up climate solutions in the region. SADC BA is a regional association representing banking sectors of 12 countries of the Southern African Development Community (Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). It serves as a platform to promote cooperation, dialogue, and harmonization of banking sector policies and practices across Southern Africa. “SBFN and IFC are pleased to welcome the SADC Banking Association—a step that reflects the network’s growing regional collaboration and global reach. We commend SADC BA’s leadership and commitment to advancing sustainable finance across the Southern African region,” shared Rong Zhang, SBFN Global Coordinator. SADC BA’s membership brings SBFN’s community to 101 members across 72 countries, further extending its global influence and reaffirming its central role in promoting sustainable finance worldwide.

🌍 At the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, the Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN), IFC - International Finance Corporation, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH hosted a high-level panel on Harmonizing Sustainable Finance Taxonomies Across Borders, moderated by Rong Zhang, SBFN Global Coordinator. Speakers from Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, the European Commission, Climate Bonds Initiative, and GIZ shared actionable ideas to support SBFN’s Taxonomy Roadmap, promote climate-aligned investment, and enhance global alignment. To build on this momentum, SBFN and GIZ renewed their partnership with a new Memorandum of Understanding focused on disclosure, inclusion, and taxonomy interoperability in #EmergingMarkets. More below ⬇️