News

UNEP FI marks the release of the UN Principles for Responsible Banking’s third biennial progress report, “Responsible Banking: A Six Year Journey of Systemic Change.”

The 3rd PRB Progress Report highlights how PRB signatories are increasingly moving from commitment to action, embedding sustainability into core business strategies, governance, and client relationships to manage risk, meet stakeholder expectations, to remain competitive in an evolving economy challenged by climate change and where over 50% of global GDP is dependent on nature.

A new Principles for Responsible Banking guidance helps banking professionals incorporate climate adaptation and resilience (A&R) into their risk frameworks and business strategies whether establishing their approach to A&R or enhancing existing practices within their organization.

In February 2025, the European Commission (EC) announced the Clean Industrial Deal (CID), the EU’s main industrial strategy and a key part of its climate policy. As leveraging private capital will be key to the CID’s success, policymakers, banks and industry representatives recently shared their recommendations for overcoming barriers and leveraging opportunities to help the CID achieve its transformative potential at an event convened by UNEP FI, the European Banking Federation, and the Net-Zero Banking Alliance.

UNEP FI begins work with peer organizations and with practitioners to iterate the Sector Mappings, integrating lessons learned from users and improving its useability and usefulness for different audiences and use cases.

UNEP FI's new report, "Guidance on Responsible Policy Engagement," offers recommendations for developing and implementing effective policy engagement strategies, centred around four pillars of responsible policy engagement: consistency, accountability, transparency, and active engagement.

UNEP FI releases the latest reports from our Banking on Sustainability: From Principles to Practice – Responsible Banking Case Study Series to showcase member progress under the UN Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) framework and to highlight good industry.

The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and UN Women new resource: "Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Target-Setting Guidance for Banks," provides banks with a clear roadmap to embed gender equality into their business strategies, workplace policies, and financial services.

Four new case studies published as of the "Banking on Sustainability: From Principles to Practice – Responsible Banking Case Study Series" help banks develop a deeper understanding of how peer institutions across different regions, commercial contexts and regulatory landscapes are translating the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) into practical strategies, products and services.

The newly published Banking on Sustainability: From Principles to Practice – Responsible Banking Case Study Series is designed to spotlight industry best practice, the series looks at how banks are translating the PRB Principles into actionable strategies and initiatives within their regional, regulatory and commercial contexts.