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INCLUSIVE GREEN FINANCE: FROM CONCEPT TO PRACTICE
CONCLUSION Global environmental change is one of the mega challenges of our times. Central banks and regulators have recognized the need to address financial risks related to global environmental change through prudential policies and their role in aligning the financial system with the Paris climate targets and other sustainability goals. The financial sector needs to make important contributions to facilitating a just transition to a low-carbon, environmentally sustainable economy. Climate change and environmental degradation can have substantial impact on vulnerable groups at the base of the economic pyramid. By threatening the livelihoods and assets of vulnerable groups, climate change and environmental degradation can worsen social equity and contribute to intra-society conflicts and tensions. Social inequity and exclusion from
economic opportunities not only limit the capacity of vulnerable groups and MSMEs to protect themselves from the effects of environmental change and boost their resilience, it also limits the scope for effective mitigation strategies. IGF, although not a panacea, can play an important role in supporting vulnerable groups to adapt to global environmental change and strengthen their resilience. Likewise, IGF can facilitate mitigation action of vulnerable groups while supporting their economic opportunities. Without empowering households at the base of the pyramid and enhancing the business opportunities of MSMEs, a just transition to a low-carbon, environmentally sustainable economy will be impossible to achieve. Importantly, both environmental and social risks can constitute a material risks to financial stability. The physical impacts of (unmitigated) climate change, as well as disruptions caused by a disorderly transition, pose material risks to financial stability. Equally, worsening social inequity and frictions may erode the customer base of financial institutions and affect the repayment of loans, or lead to a disorderly transition. Hence, it is imperative that central banks and regulators address both environmental and social risks to the stability and functioning of the financial system, through prudential policy and by supporting IGF.
