ESG

With many small businesses looking to improve their ESG credentials, CFIs have an opportunity to position themselves as a trusted sustainability partner by offering financing, tools and expertise. At the same time, they can boost their ability to attract and retain small business customers. We detail five ways CFIs can accomplish both goals.

Regulators in the US and abroad are taking a closer look at the climate-related risks that financial institutions face, and are preparing to enhance regulatory requirements on this front. In the first installment of this 2-part series, we’ll explore how climate risk is being approached by banking regulators around the world.

Climate change creates a carousel of risks for CFIs. In this follow-up to last week’s article on global climate risk financial regulations, we discuss US regulators’ plans to assess climate-based risks. We’ll also provide insight on how your team can mitigate these risks by predicting, strategizing, and implementing scenarios and strategies before disaster hits.

Regulators are cracking down on big banks for greenwashing and “social washing”. We provide three steps to help leverage your green and social credentials to build trust and loyalty.

The SEC has requested information from financial institutions on their climate risks. SEC Chairman Genzler specifically notes that, “…investors really want…to see climate risk disclosures.” What does this mean for the financial industry? Big banks seem to be complying, while they hope to guide the regulator on the specifics of the information. Yet, community financial institutions hope that they are exempt. We provide you with the latest update to be prepared.

When CFIs create “green niches” that support fast-growing companies with environmental-friendly business models, it can prove to be quite profitable. Then add the bonus of delighting investors and satisfying regulators, well then, the trifecta can bring great dividends indeed. We share several ways that your institution can create a green niche through real industry examples.

Financial institutions are increasingly using carbon calculators and other carbon footprint features to help customers better understand the environmental impact of their purchases and behave more sustainably. We provide an overview of these technologies and look at some of the benefits they offer CFIs.

Financial institutions are increasingly under pressure from stakeholders to demonstrate their commitment to addressing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. We look at four ways in which ESG initiatives could result in benefits for community financial institutions, such as attracting new customers, as well as contributing to a more sustainable future for their communities and beyond.