Sustainable Finance and the Issue of Greenwashing #4

Wednesday, 29 September 2021, 08:45 – 09:30 CET

What are the European Commission’s next actions on the governance of sustainable finance? How can they address greenwashing and achieve tangible environmental and social impacts?

FEPS addressed these topics with Martin Spolc, Head of the Sustainable Finance Unit of the EU Commission’s DG FISMA, in Episode 4 of its Policy Breakfast Series “Financing the EU Green Deal”.

#4 Sustainable Finance and the Issue of Greenwashing
Wednesday, 29 September 2021, 08:45 – 09:30 CET

With the spectacular growth of sustainable finance offerings over the past years, instances of greenwashing have proliferated. Furthermore, critics argue that despite the record sums invested, it remains difficult to discern sustainable finance’s real impacts on environmental and social matters.

Nevertheless, the EU played a leading role in advancing sustainable finance, and the Commission’s stance on this topic will most probably shape its future.

This Policy Breakfast featured a short presentation on the Commission’s policy initiatives on sustainable finance by Mr Martin Spolc, followed by the interventions of two discussants:

• Dr. Ben Allen, Research Director – Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and Co-Rapporteur – Technical Working Group, Platform on Sustainable Finance, and
• Aleksandra Palinska, Senior Research and Advocacy Officer, Finance Watch.

Andreas Dimmelmeier, FEPS Policy Analyst on Climate and Environment, moderated the session.

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ℹ️ Sustainable Finance and the Issue of Greenwashing is the 4th Episode of the Policy Breakfast Series “Financing the EU Green Deal”

• Watch EPISODE 1 of this Policy Breakfast Series: European and National Development Banks for the Green Transition
• Watch EPISODE 2 of this Policy Breakfast Series: New Resources for the EU Green Deal
• Watch EPISODE 3 of this Policy Breakfast Series: The Role of Central Banks in the Climate Transition