------------------------------------------------------------------------ E-BULLETIN THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME FINANCE INITIATIVES August 2003 - Issue 21 www.unepfi.net/ebulletin "Corporations oftentimes have real environmental liabilities that translate into both harm to the environment and harm to shareholder value" - Lee Wasserman, director of the Rockefeller Family Fund ---- TOKYO ROUNDTABLE UPDATE 1. Register before 20 September and save 30%! MEMBER SHOWCASE 2. Commercial Bank of Greece releases their first CSR report. 3. Standard Bank and EcoSecurities announce Carbon Credits cooperation agreement. ACTIVITIES 4. African Task Force Sustainable Banking in Africa Report. 5. Two new work streams on Environmental Management, Reporting and Indicators. EVENT WIRE 6. UNEP's 3rd Workshop on the Environment (Export Credit Agencies) - (October 20-21 2003; London, United Kingdom) 7. Labour Standards & Human Rights Conference - (November 19-20, 2003; Brussels, Belgium) 8. 5th Anniversary TBLI Conference - (November 6-7, 2003; Amsterdam, The Netherlands) 9. SRI in India: Two Events in Association with ASrIA - (September 11-12, 2003; Mumbai, India) 10. Ethical Corporation Asia 2003 Conference: "Corporate Responsibility - Why it's Essential for Asian Business" - (September 23-24, 2003; Singapore) 11. The Fifth Africa Development Finance Conference and Africa SMME Awards - (October 8-9, 2003; Johannesburg, South Africa) ---- TOKYO ROUNDTABLE UPDATE 1. Register before 20 September and save 30% (October 20-21, 2003 ; Tokyo Japan) REGISTER ONLINE: http://unepfi.net/tokyo/ Join UNEP FI at the Tokyo International Forum in October for the leading event on sustainability for the finance sector. Over 50 of the world's leading speakers on finance and sustainability will give participants a global perspective on topics including: - The strategic values of sustainability - Materiality of environmental risks - Transparency, accountability, and reporting - Finance and emerging economies Speakers include: Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director, UNEP Shunichi Suzuki, Minister of the Environment, Japan Jamie Allen, Secretary-General, Asian Corporate Governance Association Richard Burrett, Global Head of Project Finance, ABN AMRO Cinnamon Dornsife, Director of Financial Markets, Forest Trends Masafumi Hikima, CEO, Nikko Asset Management Hanns Michael Hölz, Global Head, Public Affairs & Sustainable Development, Deutsche Bank Carlos Joly, Senior Advisor, Storebrand Matthew Kiernan, Chief Executive, Innovest Yotaro Kobayashi, Chairman, Fuji Xerox Takeshi Komura, Governor, Development Bank of Japan Barbara Krumsiek, President & CEO, Calvert Group Ernst Ligteringen, Chief Executive, Global Reporting Initiative Fernando Pelaez-Pier, Chair, Business Law, International Bar Association Fernando Teixeira Dos Santos, Chairman, Executive Committee, International Organization of Securities Commisions Dan Siddy, Head, Sustainable Financial Markets Facility, IFC UNEP FI would also like to thank Nomura Securities, the most recent sponsor to support the Roundtable. Visit http://unepfi.net/tokyo to view the latest updates on the Roundtable, and to take advantage of special air fares with ANA and a range of Tokyo's leading hotels. We look forward to seeing you in Tokyo in October! CONTACT General Information: tokyo@unepfi.net Sponsorship: philip.moss@unep.ch Marketing: mareike.hussels@unep.ch ---- MEMBER SHOWCASE 2. The Commercial Bank of Greece has Released their first CSR Report http://www.emporiki.gr Emporiki Bank*, a leading player in the Greek financial market consisting of a group of 38 companies mainly from the financial sector, has published the first CSR, which is part of a project to integrate sustainable development in its business strategy. The report strengthens Emporiki Bank's commitment to continue the long record of socially responsible initiatives, key points include: - On Corporate Governance the report is presenting the role, mission and composition of Board of Directors, naming the 20 largest shareholders, referring to audit of financial statements, internal auditing as well as assessment and management of undertaken risks. - On employees, the report is focusing on employee profile, policies, employee turnover, occupational health and safety, training, learning and development. - On environmental policy, the report includes a commitment to adopt an environmental policy by August 2003 and an environmental management system by February 2004. Also, the report concentrates on certain environmental policy actions and data where possible, such a recycling of waste paper and electronic equipment, buildings, lighting, transport means, on credit policy and communication with the public. - On community involvement, the report explicitly presents actions taken in the areas of culture (theatre, music and arts, museums), education, health, and solidarity to social groups, supporting the athletic spirit, blood donation, and specific actions taken to support university students. 0* Emporiki Bank is the new logo of Commercial Bank of Greece. CONTACT kovlaka.s@emporiki.gr +30 21 0325 0171 3. Standard Bank and EcoSecurities announce Carbon Credits cooperation agreement http://www.standardbank.com ; http://www.ecosecurities.com Standard Bank London, the South-African-owned investment bank, and EcoSecurities, the leading carbon trading adviser, are pleased to announce an exclusive cooperation agreement to provide carbon credits services to their governmental and corporate clients. The cooperation agreement will focus on the structuring, monetising and in the future the trading of carbon credits arising from the implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is a UN agreement, which aims to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that lead to global warming. Standard Bank and EcoSecurities will also provide advisory services to governments and other entities on how best to implement aspects of the Kyoto Protocol in their own countries. In liaison with the worldwide network of the Standard Bank group, Standard Bank and EcoSecurities will initially focus on opportunities in the African continent and Russia, as well as in certain Asian and Latin American countries. Renewable energy from sources such as wind, hydro, solar, biomass, geothermal and fuel cells is a particularly good source of carbon credits. Standard Bank and EcoSecurities are already working together on such projects in countries as diverse as Brazil, Nicaragua, South Africa and Russia. Increasingly, buyers for carbon credits are corporates in developed countries which will in due course have to reduce emissions to pre-agreed levels. CONTACT allan.walker@standardbank.com +44 20 7815 3022 usher@ecosecurities.com +1 646 202 9899 ---- ACTIVITIES 4. The African Task Force (ATF) Sustainable Banking in Africa Report http://www.unepfi.net Under the coordination of UNEP FI, ATF Chair and Co-Chair - Mr. Cas Coovadia, Banking Council of South Africa and Mr. Sean de Cleene, African Institute of Corporate Citizenship (AICC) - one of the main activities of the ATF in 2003 will be the production of a Sustainable Banking in Africa Report. The report is a joint initiative between UNEP FI and AICC's Centre for Sustainability Investing, and aims to act as a benchmark discussion document outlining the challenges and opportunities for developing sustainable banking practices in Africa. It will also serve as a key document to promote the work of the ATF in Africa. Through the support of five case studies in South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal, it is hoped that this report will encourage active debate around the principles and practices of sustainable banking in Africa, and will pave the way to uncovering sustainable strategies unique to the continent. It is envisaged that a final first draft of the report will be complete for the UNEP FI Roundtable in Tokyo in October 20 - 21st, 2003. CONTACT niamh.osullivan@unep.ch 5. Two new work streams in the field of Environmental Management, Reporting and Indicators (EMRI). The two new work programmes will build on earlier work undertaken by the financial services sector, such as EPI, SPI, VfU, FORGE I and the draft guidelines produced by UNEP FI's Environmental Management and Reporting working group. 1. UNEP FI - GRI Working Group on Environmental Performance Indicators (EPI) UNEP FI and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) will co-convene a working group to finalize a GRI Financial Sector Supplement on EPI. GRI Sector Supplements are to be used in conjunction with the GRI Guidelines and provide additional information specific to individual sectors. This document will build upon and synthesize existing work in EPI for the international financial services sector. An evenly balanced multi-stakeholder working group of approximately 20 members, convened by UNEP-FI and GRI, will lead the development of EPI for the Sector Supplement. The working group will be supported by an external consultant. The group will also have two co-chairs - one industry and one non-industry, who along with UNEP FI and GRI, will have overall responsibility for the coordination of the process. 2. UNEP FI Stakeholder Forum on Environmental Management & Reporting (EMR) Guidelines During 2001/2002, UNEP FI Environmental Management and Reporting working group developed a draft set of EMR guidelines. The draft guidelines were presented in overview to a major finance-sustainability conference in Paris, in January 2003. Following the event, it was proposed that a new EMR forum - made up of financial and non-financial participants - would continue to finalise the draft guidelines. The proposed guidelines will now be developed with particular reference to the needs of financial institutions in developing countries and transition economies, with aims for their completion in early 2004. CONTACT EMR FORUM - yuki.kakiba@unep.ch GRI WORKING GROUP ON EPI - niamh.osullivan@unep.ch ---- EVENT WIRE 6. UNEP's 3rd Workshop on the Environment (Export Credit Agencies) October 20-21, 2003; London, UK Hosted by Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) Objectives: - Exchange of environmental good practice, - Discuss ways to overcome the challenges of reducing risk through environmental screening, - Strengthen contacts and cooperation between financiers on the environmental aspects of their work, and - Initiate processes to further analyse issues raised during the workshop. Themes: Day One: - Practical steps to promote cooperation between different parties involved in project finance and insurance. - How to ensure environmental concerns are being addressed at an early stage. Day Two: - Risks and business opportunities related to supporting sustainable energy technologies and projects. The workshop structure will draw principally on case studies, complemented by interactive elements that will allow for fruitful discussion and exchange. CONTACT martina.otto@unep.fr +33 1 44 37 7615 7. Labour Standards & Human Rights Conference November 19-20, 2003; Brussels, Belgium www.ethicalcorp.com/labour2003 This 2-day conference from Ethical Corporation looks in detail at the latest Labour, Codes of Conduct and Human Rights policies that multi-national companies are devising, implementing and currently using in their global operations. The ILO, BP and the European Commission have joined the programme, along with Levi Strauss, ASDA, Gap, Chiquita, ABB, Save the Children, Statoil, Premier Oil, BASF, Insight investment, Allianz-Dresdner, International Alert, Amnesty International, the ETI and many others. Issues to be covered include: Internal EU policies and emerging issues, external supply chain risks, practical tips on working with suppliers, unions and NGOs, and human rights policy development and usage. Speakers will come from Apparel, Extractive, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, Telecoms and Agriculture sectors. Their will also be a number of breakout workshops and discussion groups. 8. 5TH ANNIVERSARY TBLI CONFERENCE November 6-7, 2003; Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.tbli.org/index.php?referer_code=unep The conference will have over 80 speakers presenting on subjects such as: Corporate Governance, Corporate Ratings, Environmental Credit Risk Assessment, SRI Performance, Shareholder Engagement, Sustainable Private Equity, Oecd Guidelines, and Climate Change. There will be Analyst Meetings on the Telecom Sector, IT Sector and Mining Sector. Some of the speakers involved are: Bill McDonough, Michael Braungart, Robert A G Monks, Joan Bavaria, Jermyn Brooks, Ron Blackwell, Simon Zadek, Philippe Lespinard(CIO BNP), Jos Delbeke(EU), Hirotoshi Kunitomo (METI), Atiq Rahmen. CONTACT gabrielle@tbli.org +31 20 428 6752. 9. The Centre for Social Markets presents two workshops on SRI in India September 11-12, 2003; Mumbai, India www.csmworld.org In association with ASRIA - Thursday 11 September: 'Socially Responsible Investment: Relevance for the Indian Financial Community.' - Friday 12 September: 'International Conference on Socially Responsible Investment: Prospects for South Asia.' CONTACT malini@csmworld.org 10. Ethical Corporation Asia 2003 Conference: "Corporate Responsibility - Why it's Essential for Asian Business" September 23-24, 2003; Singapore http://www.ethicalcorp.com/asia2003 A 2-day Conference, involving 150 - 200 senior executives from multinational and large domestic Asian and Western companies will meet to discuss managing corporate citizenship strategy formulation and policy integration in their local and global operations. Companies confirmed to speak include: Sony, Citibank, NEC, Tata Group, DHL, Gap, Skanska, Pfizer, HP, Standard Chartered Bank, British American Tobacco, BASF, Kingsway, Parkway Healthcare and many more Contact: peter.carkeek@ethicalcorp.com 1 800 814 3459 or +44 (0) 20 73 75 7160 extn 282 11. The Fifth Africa Development Finance Conference And Africa SMME Awards October 8-9, 2003; Johannesburg, South Africa http://www.acia.ac.za AIM - To discuss and deliberate key issues in development finance relevant to promoting sustainable investment in Africa - To showcase Africa's success stories in the SMME (small, medium and micro enterprise) sector through recognition and awards of excellence. SPEAKERS Distinguished speakers at the conference and awards ceremony include Trevor Manuel, Finance Minister of South Africa, Baledzi Gaolathe, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Botswana, Dr Kwesi Botchwey, former Finance Minister of Ghana and now Executive Chairman of the African Development Policy Ownership Initiative, Dr Nkosana Moyo, former Minister of Industry and International Trade of Zimbabwe and Associate director of SME Development Sub-Saharan Africa Region. International Finance Corporation. The World Bank Group. PARTNERS AND SPONSORS Partners and Sponsors in this event include the UNDP, NEPAD, SABC Africa, IFC, NORSAD, City Press, Africa Online, Africa Business Round Table, Eskom, APDF, Sanlam, Cape Tourism, the University of Stellenbosch Business School, Educor, Ashanti Goldfields, Xstrata SA, IICD, Barloworld and K-rep Consulting. This is a significant event on the African continent's calendar and will bring business leaders, governments and NGOs from all corners of the African continent and abroad to Johannesburg to network and discuss issues relevant to Africa's economic and social development. CONTACT claireds@acia.sun.ac.za 021 918 4245 ---- end. To unsubscribe: email: LISTSERV@peach.ease.lsoft.com and in the body of the email type "signoff UNEPFI" To subscribe: email: LISTSERV@peach.ease.lsoft.com and in the body of the email type "subscribe UNEP FI" The UNEP FI e-bulletin is a monthly publication of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiatives. United Nations Environment Programme Division of Technology, Industry and Economics Economics and Trade Branch Finance Initiatives Unit Editor in Chief: Paul Clements-Hunt Editors: Henry.Thomas@unep.ch Jacob.Malthouse@unep.ch Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of UNEP or UNEP FI, or of its signatories, nor does UNEP FI or its signatories take any responsibility for actions taken as a result of views or opinions expressed in this publication. Copyright 2003 - UNEP FI