25 Years Changing Finance and Financing Change

In 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro a group of visionary leaders saw that transforming private finance would be key to achieving sustainable development. This marked the beginning of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), which recruited its first members in May of that year.

25 years later, the world of finance has profoundly changed. UNEP FI’s members have been at the vanguard of that change, taking steps together to transform financial institutions on the road to a financial system which supports sustainable development.

Browse through our site to witness the journey, and the transformation to sustainable finance.


Executive Director
UN Environment

Erik Solheim

“UN Environment’s Finance Initiative has been working for 25 years to bridge the gap between global finance institutions and the environmental agenda, so that both people and planet can flourish. We’ve worked with leading banks, investors and insurers, forging partnerships and steadily helping to move the markets. We’ve now reached a place where greening finance, and financing a green economy, are no longer seen as optional, but rather as best practice.”


Learn about the success and importance of UNEP FI’s work  from Eric Usher, Head, UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative

Take a look back at 25 years of milestones, and the global events that shaped the transformation to sustainable financial institutions Join us as we celebrate!
25th Anniversary celebrations will be held during UNEP FI’s regional roundtables in Buenos Aires, New York, Geneva, Johannesburg and Tokyo