Our journey towards sustainability

Our clients
Focusing on Financial Services
Landmark events impacting the industry:
SDGs
Evolving from the Millennium Development Goals, the
2015 publication of the SDGs has made significant strides
in establishing the role of business in sustainable development.
Since their launch, the FS industry has begun assessing the
integral role of FS institutions in achieving each of the
17 goals. Examples include:
Goal 5 – gender equality:
Evidence of the gains from economic
empowerment of women is mounting rapidly:
households, firms, communities and whole
economies perform significantly better when
women have opportunities to raise their
productivity. Even in regions with relatively
well-developed capital markets, access to
finance (particularly formal financial products)
is often a barrier to women’s success in
business.
Goal 7 – affordable and clean energy:
Appropriate Financial Services are critical
for the growth of technologies, goods and
services that minimize the environmental
impact of economic activity. Not only do levels
of investment in innovative clean technologies
need to accelerate, but collaboration must
increase among multinational corporations,
emerging cleantech companies and
governments.
Goal 13 – climate action:
The physical risks of climate change pose
immediate and long-term threats to business
operations. Investments require risk screening
that includes climate change on a localized
level, as it can differ significantly by geography
and sector. FS institutions have an opportunity
to not only provide the desired solutions to
climate change issues, but also incentives and
strategic funding for adaptation measures.
EY is working with regulators
and industry influencers
across our markets,
advocating for and promoting
the sustainability agenda
within Financial Services.
With pioneering political leaders, investors
and CEOs stepping up to truly integrate
sustainable development within business
strategy, FS institutions are working to address
areas of financial constraints and where profit
is prioritized over social and environmental
concerns. For instance, the FS industry is
moving beyond the use of policy instruments,
such as carbon taxes, emissions trading
programs and deforestation disincentives.
Increased scrutiny is being placed upon the
FS industry to address its much-maligned
culture and operate within a new value system
based on transparency, integrity and trust.
Supporting the efforts of these pioneers, EY
is also working with regulators and industry
influencers across our markets, advocating
for and promoting the sustainability agenda
within Financial Services. Please refer to this
report’s GRI Content Index for a list of
organizations we’re working alongside.
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Appendices Our communities Our people Our clients Introduction