The Sustainable Finance Committee

The Sustainable Finance Committee was appointed by the German federal government for the duration of the current legislative period with the aim of bringing together existing expertise and fostering a dialogue between the relevant actors. Its members are practitioners from the financial industry, the real economy, civil society and science. The Committee was established by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, both of which coordinate closely with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Using their expertise in a range of areas, the Committee’s members advise the German federal government on the preparation and implementation of its sustainable finance strategy. This strategy aims to turn Germany into a leading centre for sustainable finance and to help the financial sector fund the real economy activities necessary for achieving the sustainability goals of the United Nations and the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Sustainable finance contributes materially to the strengthening of Germany’s competitiveness.

Besides developing the sustainable finance strategy, the Committee also advises the German federal government on the positions it takes in national, European and international discussions surrounding sustainable finance. Furthermore, the Committee prepares proposals for refining the management of risks and opportunities specific to the financial system in order to arrive at adequate non-financial indicators related to the environment, social topics and governance above and beyond financial indicators.

Permanent observers support the members of the Committee in their work.

Detailed discussions take place in the working groups, “Strategy and Communications”, “Financial Market Stability and Risk Management”, “Disclosure, Transparency and Impact” as well as “End Customers”. The work of these groups has been supported by the valuable input of external experts as necessary.