Green Finance and Investment

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We are devoted to promoting green finance development and responsible overseas investment, as well as connecting China’s financial activities with global ecology. We expect to reduce the ecological footprint of China’s domestic and overseas investments, helping capital market incorporate sustainability and climate resilience into investment principles, and allocating more resources to the environment and climate-friendly, low-carbon industries. We promote effective financial policy formulation and implementation for an environment-friendly, equitable and transparent society, and in doing so, expand public participation and supervision.

Over the past 50 years, the facts that traditional economic activities are featured by one-sided pursuit of economic growth, Bretton Woods system’s delayed responses for meeting sustainable development needs and lack of transparency in financial governance led to frequent occurrences of economic fluctuation and financial crisis. These incidents exerted unprecedented pressure on global resources and environment.

 

 

China’s ecological footprints are increasing year by year with the rapid economic growth. As a result, the ecological capacity of our country can barely meet the demands for resources, including environmental capacity. Over the past decade, China has had rather frequent interactions with the world through economic activities such as investments, trade and finance. Especially after 2000 when the "going out" strategy was proposed, China's foreign investments grew rapidly and invested more than any other developing countries. While stimulating  the world economy, China is also influencing global environmental governance, community development, biodiversity and climate change. Green finance and responsible investment hence play  pivotal roles in promoting a quality-oriented economic development model.

 

Under such understanding, we are committed to promoting green finance development and responsible overseas investment, whilst connecting China's financial activities with global ecology. We expect that China's financial industry will enhance environmental and social related disclosure and transparency, reduce negative impact of investment and financing on climate, environment and society; furthermore, narrow the ecological footprint of China's domestic and overseas investment. We also expect that, with China’s participation, international financial governance platform and multilateral development financial institutions will incorporate sustainability and climate resilience into their investment principles, which helps the capital market to allocate more resources to the environment and climate-friendly, low-carbon industries.

 

We carry out forward-looking and responsive policy analysis, case study and international experience sharing, by which to promote dialogue of diverse views and effective financial policy formulation and implementation for environment-friendly, equitable and transparent society. We cooperate with enterprises, NGOs, governments and other stakeholders to expand public participation and supervision on environmental protection and construct social ecology that is conducive to sustainable development.

 

Since 2012, we have been supporting researches in green finance discipline, we aim to achieve environmental benefits, enhance climate resilience and pursue transparency and justice:

 

1.    Researching on green finance policy and financing methods to promote implementation of domestic green credit directive: 
 

– In 2012
We responded to “Guidance on Green Credit” issued by CBRC, and from then on, we conducted analysis annually on green credit performances by financial institutions.

 

– In 2013
We worked with Germanwatch and completed “Comparative Study on Financing for Energy Efficiency in Buildings in China and Germany”

 

– From 2014 to 2017
We participated in the four-year research project on the China Coal Consumption Cap. Each year, we worked with the Financial Research Institute of People’s Bank of China and jointly produced a solid and fact-based report on financial policies with concrete and actionable recommendations at national and sectorial levels.
 

2.    Strengthening overseas environmental and social risk management and increasing information disclosure and transparency of Chinese financial institutions 
 

–  From 2013 to 2015
Through field research and visits, we completed "China Mining Related Investment – Development and Supervision Home and Abroad " and "Green Credit" Going out": Case Study on Overseas Green Credit Practice of Chinese Banks ". These two studies systematically presented China's overseas investment status, regulations and problems, and analyzed environmental, social risks and problems faced by Chinese enterprises and banks in investment and financing through cases collected in nearly eight different regions. Based on facts and our findings, we have organized a number of professional seminars on environmental risk management to promote the "Going out" of Chinese financial institutions.

 

– In 2016
 As a member institution of China Green Finance Committee, we completed Preliminary Study on Overseas Environmental and Social Risk Management by Financial Institutions under “Belt and Road Initiative”

 

3.    Promoting responsible investment and sustainable global financial governance of Development Financial Institutions:
 

– In 2014
Cooperated with Institutions from Brazil and India to complete research report “Promoting Sustainable and Responsible Financing: The Role of National Development Financial Institutions in Global Economy” which compared environmental safeguard policy of National Development Financial Institutions in China, Brazil and India.

 

– In 2015
Introducing and analyzing international practices and experiences in Complaint Mechanism Building of International Multilateral Financial Institutions.

 

– In 2016

Completed “China’s Development Finance under Belt and Road Initiative-National Development Bank and its Environmental and Social Risk Management” which analyzed environmental and social performances in overseas investment of CDB, and provided suggestions for CDB to establish and implement better Environmental and Social Safeguard Policy.

 

–  2016-2017
Conducted analysis and discussion on Environmental and Social Responsibility of Development Financial Institutions, participate in consultations on AIIB’s “Environmental and Social Safeguard Framework” and “Energy Strategy Policy” and provided specific suggestions thereon.