On 8 October 2024, the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) published the Responsible Banking Blueprint – A roadmap for action on climate, nature and biodiversity, healthy and inclusive economies and human rights (the Blueprint).The Blueprint is designed to be read in conjunction with the UNEP FI’s strategy note, Leading the Way to a Sustainable Future – Priorities for a Global Responsible Banking Sector.

The UNEP FI states that the Blueprint captures the ‘cutting edge of responsible banking ambition’ in seven key areas:

  1. Strategy:
  • has a sustainability strategy covering climate, nature & biodiversity, healthy & inclusive economies and human rights;
  • has a strategy that is based on the results of a holistic portfolio analysis; and
  • demonstrates alignment of business strategy to be consistent with and contribute to relevant sustainable development goals (SDGs) and international frameworks.
  1. Internal processes and policies:
  • has internal sustainability policies and processes (including transition considerations, risk management and due diligence) in place that incorporate sustainability aspects across all aspects of financing and investment processes;
  • has a human rights approach incorporated across all aspects of the financing cycle, are gender sensitive, and enable banks to identify both opportunities for and risks of or associated with clients and their potentially affected stakeholders;
  • established governance systems;
  • has competence on climate, nature and social and development-related issues at board-level; and
  • has developed and implemented relevant climate, nature, social and human rights policies for all identified sectors with a high impact.
  1. Portfolio composition and financial flows:
  • has been mobilising significant amounts of capital to promote sustainable development, while ensuring do-no-harm and leave-no-one-behind principles; and
  • has a sustainability and product and services framework.
  1. Client engagement:
  • has raised awareness with its clients and customer base about the risks and opportunities associated with the relevant theme/s;
  • has been engaging corporate clients on their targets, action and transition plans; and
  • increasing the number of clients that have improved their own management of sustainability-related risks and impacts.
  1. Advocacy and partnerships:
  • has been advocating for an enabling sustainable finance policy environment.
  1. Target-setting and implementation via action and transition plans:
  • set targets in all areas of most significant impact; and
  • has an action or transition plan in place.
  1. Transparency and disclosure:
  • demonstrate target delivery by reporting on progress against pre-defined milestones and key performance indicators; and
  • discloses the proportion of funding in its portfolio that is aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement, the Global Biodiversity Framework, the SDGs, the UN Guiding Principles, and/or other relevant international and national framework.

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