"Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance" Mobilizes capital, policy, and innovation to drive the next era of sustainability

ABU DHABI, 11 December, 2017 (WAM) – Today, Abu Dhabi Global Forum (ADGM) hosted the eighth session of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, in partnership with the Global Climate Finance Centre, Hanwha, and the “European-Gulf Cooperation on Green Transition” project.

The forum, which was held on the last day of Abu Dhabi Financial Week, brought together climate finance leaders, innovators, policymakers and institutional investors, affirming Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading global force in driving the transition towards climate neutrality and nature-friendly practices.

The forum was opened by Salem Mohammed Al Darei, CEO of the Abu Dhabi Global Authority (ADGM), highlighting Abu Dhabi’s rapid rise as a magnet for sustainable finance, through adopting ambitious policies, building climate-resilient systems, and directing capital towards high-impact global solutions.

His speech paved the way for a day dedicated to addressing the investment pathways, regulatory mechanisms and cross-border partnerships that will shape the next era of climate finance.

Al-Darai said: We affirm our commitment to making Abu Dhabi the destination where capital finds the opportunity that is consistent with its goals and aspirations for growth. As the capital of green capital, Abu Dhabi builds bridges between regions and works to finance the renewable energy infrastructure sector, green technologies, and sustainable innovation in emerging and developed markets alike. This forum embodies Abu Dhabi’s rising position as a global platform for sustainable finance, where ambition meets implementation, and partnerships create widespread systemic transformation.

In a session entitled “From Ambition to Action: Financing the Transition to a Green Economy,” Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of Frontier25, discussed what is being done, and what needs to be achieved, to facilitate the region’s transition towards a green economy and promote climate action.

Important figures in the fields of finance, climate technologies, policies, and sustainability participated in the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, over the course of a full day that included keynote speeches, constructive discussions, side conversations, and forward-looking dialogues.

The forum explored investment in renewable energy, biodiversity financing, risk analysis of environmental, social and corporate governance practices, supported by artificial intelligence, sustainable Islamic finance, green infrastructure, and advanced climate innovations, starting from engineered ecosystems, all the way to climate-resilient digital infrastructure.

Under the overarching theme of aligning capital with climate ambition, participants examined how financial markets can accelerate large-scale investment in the energy transition, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions. The program included important sessions that reflect Abu Dhabi’s expanding leadership role in sustainability-based financing.

A key session discussed how future city planning, forward-looking policy frameworks, and major climate-compatible projects contribute to enhancing the emirate’s position as a global platform for sustainable investment. Speakers evaluated how long-term capital, climate resilience strategies, and cross-border cooperation are reshaping the green finance landscape.

This was followed by a high-level public roundtable debate, organized by the Global Center for Climate Finance, which included the CEOs of First Abu Dhabi Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, and HSBC Bank Middle East, and focused on exploring practical paths to enable the UAE to consolidate its position as a global center for climate finance, and open the way for the flow of capital towards transformation projects.

In another session, Eugenia Onaniants-Jackson, Global Head of Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Practices at BGIM, and Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holding Group, participated along with a number of executives in a dialogue on how impact investing is reshaping the global health, deep technologies, and community development sectors, while achieving long-term sustainable returns.

In conjunction with the main event, the “Women in Finance” Forum brought together influential women leaders from the fields of finance, investment, sustainability, and regulatory bodies from around the world, to discuss paths to enhancing inclusion, leadership, and innovation in the sector.

Through sessions such as “Active Leaders: Women Driving Financial Innovation,” the event highlighted the pivotal role women play in driving progress and reshaping the center of influence by reshaping financial innovation across global markets.

In addition to the main sessions of the day, several parallel forums added depth and sectoral perspective, including the second forum of the “European-Gulf Cooperation on Green Transition” project, the “Google Finance and Technology Summit,” the “Islamic Finance Summit,” the high-level roundtable on climate investment in Abu Dhabi, and an event entitled “Capital Movement: Building the Wealth of Arab Youth and Enhancing Their Confidence,” which brought together sector leaders and experts who reviewed ways to enhance climate finance, resilience strategies, and cooperation in the green economy.

The Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum also highlighted the progress made by the Sustainable Finance Working Group in the UAE, which recently adopted the new “Climate Transition Planning Principles” within the fourth workstream, which constitutes an important milestone that directs financial institutions towards reliable and transparent transitional planning practices, in line with the UAE’s goals to reach net zero emissions.

The forum also welcomed the new signatories to the Abu Dhabi Declaration on Sustainable Finance, bringing the total number to 180 institutions committed to supporting the long-term goals of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, in reaching climate neutrality.

The fourth day of Abu Dhabi Financial Week witnessed a series of announcements from G.I. with me. Morgan, DLA Piper, Arab Bank “Switzerland”, Middle East, ERM and iCapital announced the opening of offices in Abu Dhabi Global “ADGM” or expanding their activity in Abu Dhabi Global.

And it works. with me. Morgan aims to accelerate the growth of JP Morgan Payments by bringing best-in-class global treasury solutions to the UAE. Arab Bank Switzerland also obtained initial approval to obtain a license for advisory services from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority in Abu Dhabi Global.

In another context, ERM, the largest consulting firm specializing in sustainability in the world, and the global law firm DLA Piper announced the establishment of a new office in the Abu Dhabi Global Market, thus enhancing its regional presence and supporting the growing sustainability sector in the emirate.

During the fourth and final day of Abu Dhabi Financial Week, 23 memorandums of understanding were announced, including partnerships between local and international entities such as Tetehr, Crypto.com, Zodia, Presto, PCP, and Warner Bros. Discovery, World Gold Council, Bain Capital and others.

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