Themes

Nature, News | 16 October 2026

In the two years since COP16 in Cali, the finance sector has made significant progress in building the foundations for nature finance, but stronger action and clearer government policies are needed to meet global biodiversity targets for 2030. Financial institutions must redouble their efforts to mobilise finance, manage nature-related risks, and improve data and reporting – a supportive enabling environment is necessary for this to occur.

Nature, Publications | 15 October 2026

In the two years since COP16 in Cali, Colombia, the finance sector has made significant progress in building the foundations for nature finance. Yet financial flows remain fundamentally misaligned with global biodiversity goals. UNEP FI's 2026 report card finds that stronger action by financial institutions, alongside clearer government policies and regulations, is needed to meet the 2030 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. 

Banking, Climate Change, Publications | 14 October 2026

This report provides guidance for banks on engaging with policymakers and industry stakeholders to accelerate the decarbonization of the cement sector, a hard-to-abate industry.  Concrete is essential to modern construction and the cement it contains constitutes one of the world’s most emissions-intensive industries. Achieving low-carbon cement will require a combination of breakthrough technologies, material innovation and an enabling policy environment. As demand for cement continues to grow in many emerging economies, accelerating the sector’s transition is increasingly urgent.

Banking, Events, Principles for Responsible Banking, Risk, Webinars | 12 October 2026

This session will explore the role of the risk function in responsible banking, drawing on the newly published, "A Chief Risk Officer's Guide to the Principles for Responsible Banking". It will set out how Chief Risk Officers and their teams can implement the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) through the bank's existing risk management framework, and share the practical actions the Guide sets out across seven core risk element.

Asia Pacific, China, Europe, Nature, Policy, Publications | 12 October 2026

This UNEP FI policy brief examines how nature-related considerations are being incorporated into banking-relevant regulation across the two major economic and financial systems of China and the European Union. It aims to to help financial sector practitioners and policymakers understand how nature-related considerations are being incorporated into banking-relevant regulation in the two jurisdictions, within a rapidly evolving global landscape.

Publications, Risk | 08 October 2026

The UNEP FI Risk Centre has developed a series of resources to help risk professionals at financial institutions better understand and use sustainability-related disclosures within prudential risk management. The series is anchored in the Conceptual Framework for Sustainability Risk Integration, which sets out seven core elements for embedding sustainability-related considerations into existing risk management processes.

Publications, Risk | 08 October 2026

The Sustainability Disclosure Readiness Indicators (SDRI) Toolkit helps real-economy companies and financial institutions across sectors gauge their readiness for sustainability-related risk disclosures, supporting internal reflection and gap analysis.

Climate Change, News, Policy | 08 October 2026

Ahead of the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), this article discusses the Turkish and Australian Presidencies’ priorities and key moments expected to shape the road to COP31 and their implications for financial institutions. It also lists UNEP FI’s planned activities and initiatives at the COP.

Nature, News | 07 October 2026

The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa (UNCCD), closed in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with an important message for the finance sector: land degradation and water scarcity are material macroeconomic and portfolio risks running through agricultural supply chains, food systems and energy security.

Adaptation Finance, Africa & Middle East, Events, Webinars | 24 September 2026

This webinar will introduce UNEP FI's Adaptation Finance Taxonomy Playbook, a guide accompanied by a practical toolkit designed to help financial institutions identify, assess and scale adaptation financing. Tailored for policy, compliance, investment and underwriting teams, the session will explore how taxonomies can be used to identify and classify adaptation activities, highlight emerging market practices, and share real-world examples relevant to the Africa and Middle East region.