Singapore, 25 January 2017 – The Singapore Management University (SMU), United Nations Environment (UNEP) and the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) co-sponsored a public event themed ‘Singapore, Green Finance and the Collaborative Challenge’ on 10 January at SMU. The event offered insights on the nexus between sustainable finance and collaborative action, with the broader objective of delivering the Sustainable Development Goals.

Over 200 participants from the government, business, and non-profit sectors heard an overview of developments and core findings in green finance in the second edition of UNEP's global report ‘The Financial System We Need: Momentum to Transformation’ and G20 plans, presented by Professor Simon Zadek, DSM Senior Fellow in Partnership & Sustainability, School of Social Sciences (SoSS), SMU.

The ensuing panel discussion brought together key senior stakeholders in the growing dialogue on sustainable global finance: Piyush Gupta, CEO, DBS Bank; Mohammed Omran, Executive Chairman of the Egyptian Exchange, Chairman of the Federation Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges (FEAS), and Professor of Finance at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology; Nuru Mugambi, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Kenya Bankers Association; and Prof Zadek. The panel discussion was moderated by Professor Ann Florini, Academic Director of the SMU Master of Tri-Sector Collaboration (MTSC) and Professor of Public Policy, SMU.

Professor James Tang, Dean, SoSS, SMU, opened the event and workshops with UNEP and German G20 Presidency representatives. The closing remarks at the public event were shared by Ms Chen Chen Lee, Director, Policy Programmes, SIIA.

The panel discussion explored whether, why and how to foster cross-sector collaboration in the public interest in support of sustainable finance.

Key issues addressed include:

• A discussion of the ways in which sustainable finance may be advanced through direct market leadership or unilateral national policy and regulatory action; whether a ‘green’ finance agenda, and/or a green focus provide a market edge; and for market actors to note at what stage and why collaboration between state and market might be required.

• Whether today's national collaboration and international/regional co-operation to advance sustainable finance is working to overcome bureaucratic silos and foster effective action, and what more action is needed.

• What Singapore’s role in international cooperation around sustainable finance was, and how it could best advance nationally and regionally through public-private collaboration.

SMU’s MTSC programme led the University’s efforts in joining hands with leaders across government, businesses and civil society organisations for the launch event’s cross-disciplinary dialogues on the global issue of advancing sustainable finance. The MTSC is a ground-breaking programme at the SMU School of Social Sciences that delivers insights and skills required for the tri-sector partnerships that Asia requires in addressing ‘wicked’ complex global challenges.

SIIA has been convening leading thinkers, corporates and experts to discuss the latest developments on sustainable finance through the Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources (SDSWR). SIIA regularly engages a vast network of policymakers and financial players, which help to raise awareness on these issues.

The public event drew in part from a concurrent workshop on GreenInvest – an initiative supported by Germany in its G20 Presidency, to provide a voice for non-G20 developing countries in the green finance debates. The workshop, co-hosted by SMU, convened participants from some 25 developing countries for a first consultation across two days of workshops on 9 and 10 January. The attendees included senior executives and officials from central banks, stock exchanges, banking and other business associations, and finance ministries.

For more information on:

• GreenInvest and its launch, and UNEP, visit UNEP News and UNEP/GreenInvest
• SMU MTSC, visit https://socsc.smu.edu.sg/master-tri-sector-collaboration
• SIIA and its efforts, visit SIIA and Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources

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About Singapore Management University

A premier university in Asia, the Singapore Management University (SMU) is internationally recognised for its world-class research and distinguished teaching. Established in 2000, SMU’s mission is to generate leading-edge research with global impact and produce broad-based, creative and entrepreneurial leaders for the knowledge-based economy. SMU education is known for its highly interactive, collaborative and project-based approach to learning, and for its technologically enabled pedagogy of seminar-style teaching in small class sizes.

Home to around 9,300 undergraduate and postgraduate students, SMU comprises six schools: School of Accountancy, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, School of Economics, School of Information Systems, School of Law, and School of Social Sciences.  SMU offers a wide range of bachelors, masters and PhD degree programmes in the disciplinary areas associated with the six schools, as well as in interdisciplinary combinations of these areas.

SMU has an emphasis on generating rigorous, high-impact, and relevant multi-disciplinary research that addresses Asian issues of global relevance.  SMU faculty members collaborate with leading international researchers and universities from USA, Europe, China and India, as well as with partners in the business community and public sector, through its research institutes, centres and labs. SMU’s city campus is a state-of-the art facility located in the heart of downtown Singapore, fostering strategic linkages with business, government and the wider community. www.smu.edu.sg

About The Singapore Institute of International Affairs

The SIIA is an independent think tank dedicated to the research analysis and discussion of regional and international issues, and plays a key role in Track II diplomacy, supplementing official dialogue between governments. Founded in 1961 and registered as a membership-based society, the institute is Singapore’s oldest think tank that aims to help Singapore become a more cosmopolitan and global society through public education and outreach on international affairs. The SIIA is also a founding member of the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS), a regional alliance of think tanks.

Since 2013, the SIIA has ranked highly as one of the top think tanks in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, in the Global Go-To Think Tank Index done by the University of Pennsylvania. In the index, SIIA has consistently ranked among the top 100 think tanks in the world.