CSR & ESG
Published  7 MIN READ

Financing the Transition to a Sustainable and Profitable Future

Transitioning to a more sustainable future requires financing solutions that support both the climate and society-linked goals. For investors, tools that enable them to assess companies on their sustainability credentials are crucial to their decision-making. Meanwhile, for treasurers, having access to the right sustainable finance solutions helps them support environmental, social, and governance targets across the organisation.

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed broader sustainability issues beyond the urgent climate crisis, leaving governments and companies scrambling to find solutions for issues ranging from water-usage optimisation and reduction of carbon emissions to supply chain management and worker rights.

Dr Roland Mees, Director of Sustainable Finance, ING, notes that the health crisis has been a catalyst for companies to accept that more action must be taken to protect the planet. “The positive aspect of the pandemic has been the moment of reflection,” he says. “We have been forced to reflect on our situation.”

During the height of the pandemic, the public and private sectors worked together to produce and roll out vaccines in record times. This example shows that, when a challenge is prioritised, it can be addressed quickly, particularly co-ordinated efforts to find solutions.