ABOUT US

Launched in 2016 during China’s G20 presidency, the Green Finance Study Group was mandated to identify institutional and market barriers to green finance and options to enhance the mobilisation of private capital for green investment. During 2016-18, the Group facilitated the formation of a global consensus on the need to scale up green finance and focused global attention on a range of key topics for the development of sustainable finance worldwide.

In 2018, under the Argentinian Presidency, its remit was expanded to consider additional aspects of sustainable development and the group was renamed Sustainable Finance Study Group (SFSG). On April 7th 2021, under Italy’s G20 Presidency, Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors endorsed the reestablishment of the SFSG and upgrade it to become a working group under the title “G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group” (G20 SFWG). The Group was also mandated to developing, in a collaborative manner, an initial evidence-based and climate-focused G20 sustainable finance roadmap, improving sustainability reporting, identifying sustainable investments, and aligning International Financial Institutions’ efforts with the Paris Agreement.

DOCUMENT REPOSITORY

COMMUNIQUÉS & MEETINGS BRIEFS

  1. Communique – First G20 Finance Minister and Central Bank Governors – 18 February
  2. Presidency & Co-Chairs Note on Agenda Priorities
  1. Communique - Second G20 Finance Ministers Central Bank Governors Meeting – 7 April
  2. Event Brief – G20 Sustainable Finance Private Sector Roundtable – 17-18 May
  3. Meeting Brief – G20 Second SFWG Meeting – 18 June
  4. Communique – Third G20 Finance Ministers Central Bank Governors Meeting – 9-10 July
  5. Meeting Brief – G20 Third SFWG Meeting – 27 July
  6. Communique – Fourth G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting – 13 October
  7. Presidency & Co-Chairs Note on Agenda Priorities
  1. G20 Finance Ministers  Central Bank Governors Meeting, 19-20 March 2018
  2. G20 Finance Ministers  Central Bank Governors Meeting, 21-22 July 2018
  3. G20 Leaders Declaration, Buenos Aires, Arentina, 30 November - 1 December 2018
  1. G20 Leaders Declaration, Hamburg, Germany, 7-8 July 2017
  2. G20 Hamburg Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth
  3. Chair's Summary, G20 Finance and Central Bank Governors Meeting, Washington D.C., USA, 20-21 April 2017
  1. Communique G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, Shangai, China, 26-27 February 2016
  2. Communique G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, Washington D.C., USA, 15 April 2016
  3. Communique G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, Chengdu, China, 24 July 2016
  4. Communiqué G20 Leaders Summit, Hangzhou, China, 5 September 2016

SYNTHESIS REPORT

Full report: English

Summary: French

Full report:  English

Summary: Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Portuguese | Russian | Spanish

Full report: Chinese | English

Summary: Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Portuguese | Russian | Spanish

Full report: Chinese | English

Summary: Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Portuguese | Russian | Spanish

INPUT PAPERS

  1. Tech-driven ESG Practices (FC4s - GDFA)
  2. Synergies between sustainability and financial reporting (IFRS - GSG)
  3. Sustainability-related Issuer Disclosures (IOSCO)
  4. Reporting on Nature-related Risks-Impacts-Dependencies (UNEP - UNDP)
  5. Scaling MSME Sustainability Reporting (ICC)
  6. Improving Compatibility of Approaches to Identify, Verify and Align Investments to Sustainability Goals (IPSF - DESA)
  7. ESG-investing-and-Climate-Transition (OECD)
  8. A taxonomy of sustainable finance taxonomies (BIS)
  9. High-level Recommendations for Credible Net-Zero Commitments from Financial Institutions (UNEP-FI)
  1. Digital Technologies for Mobilizing Sustainable Finance (Sustainable Digital Finance Alliance)
  2. Raising 23 Trillion Greening Banks and Capital Markets for Growth (IFC)
  3. Private Equity and Venture Capitals Role in Catalyzing Sustainable Investment (IFC)
  4. OECD Progress Update on Approaches to Mobilising Insitutional Investment for Sustainable Infrastructure (OECD)
  5. Developing Sustainable Debt Products for Long-term Institutional Investors (Bank of England, Ministry of the Treasury of Argentina)
  6. Towards a sustainable infrastructure securitisation market (Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB), White  Case, SP Global Ratings, G20 SFSG; with input from Och-Ziff Capital Management, APG and ICMA)
  7. Sustainable Finance Progress Report (UN Environment Inguiry)
  1. Enhancing Environmental Risk Assessment in Financial Decision-making (Bank of England, UN Environment Inquiry, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership)
  2. Improving the Availability and Usefulness of Publicly Available Environmental Data for Financial Analysis (China Green Finance Committee and UN Environment Inquiry)
  3. Green Finance Progress Report (UN Environment Inquiry)
  1. Definitions and Concepts (UN Environment)
  2. Environmental Risk Analysis by Financial Institutions (University of Cambridge (CISL))
  3. Greening Institutional Investment (PRI/UNEP FI)
  4. Greening the Banking System (SBN/IFC)
  5. Outline Framework for Measuring Progress on Green Finance (WBG)
  6. Green Bonds Country Experiences Barriers and Options (OECD/ICMA/CBI/China GFC)
  7. Analytical Report on Investment Governance and the Integration of ESG Factors (OECD)
  8. Analysing Potential Bond Contributions in a Low-carbon Transition (OECD)
  9. Greening the Banking System (Un Environment)
  10. Greening Banking Policy (University of Zurich)
  11. Progress Report on Approaches to Mobilising Institutional Investment for Green Infrastructure (OECD)
  12. Green Bonds Certification Shades of Green and Environmental Risks (BIS)
  13. Report on the Swiss Private Sector Workshop Modeling and Assessing Environmental Risks (Swiss Federal Department of Finance)
  14. An Initial Analytical Framework and Research Roadmap (IMF)

DISCLAIMER: Input papers have been prepared by the authors as a contribution to the Group but have not been endorsed by it nor do they represent the official views or position of the Group or any of its members.

SECRETARIAT

UNDP SDG FINANCE SECTOR HUB

The Italian Presidency invited the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to serve as the Secretariat of the SFWG. UNDP as the secretariat carries out the substantive and administrative work to support, coordinate, and collaborate with all members efforts and help bring thought leadership to inform the work of the SFWG as directed by the G20 Presidency.

For more information, please contact the secretariat at: sfwg.secretariat@undp.org

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS