UNEP FI: The Global Roundtable in Geneva

13 December 2024
Innovation Center, Circular Economy, Finance

What is UNEP FI and What Does It Do?

The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) was established in 1992 to bring together an extensive network of banks, insurers, and investors to promote sustainability within the financial system.

For over 30 years, the initiative has connected the United Nations with financial institutions worldwide to shape the sustainable finance agenda. It has developed key sustainability frameworks that enable the financial industry to tackle global challenges in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters.

Coordinated by a secretariat based in Geneva, Switzerland, UNEP FI includes over 500 banks and insurers with a business volume exceeding USD 170 trillion. Members implement frameworks such as the Principles for Responsible Banking and the Principles for Sustainable Insurance. UNEP FI supports its members in applying industry frameworks and developing practical guidelines and tools to align their operations with the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy.

The 2024 Global Roundtable

UNEP FI hosted its 18th Global Roundtable on December 10–11 in Geneva. The event focused on accelerating practical approaches to defining and implementing targets in areas such as net zero emissions, impact, pollution, human rights, and financial inclusion, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The biennial Global Roundtable (GRT) is a key event to drive action in the financial sector, offering thousands of professionals the opportunity to collaborate with peers and draw insights from global leaders. It brings together a diverse group of stakeholders—including banks, insurers, investors, regulators, policymakers, and civil society representatives—to collectively shape the sustainable finance agenda and catalyze action in the financial system with the long-term goal of building more sustainable global economies.

This year, the Global Roundtable was held alongside Building Bridges (December 9–12), a powerful movement that annually convenes over 2,500 participants from more than 100 countries in Geneva. Participants include representatives from the financial and business sectors, governments, civil society, academia, and communities committed to sustainable development.

Intesa Sanpaolo and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center's Commitment

The Intesa Sanpaolo Group is one of the few European financial groups to have joined all major United Nations initiatives in the financial sector related to sustainability, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2021, it joined all Net-Zero alliances covering credit, investments, and insurance.

In this context, the contribution of the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center stands out. The center promotes innovation as a driver of sustainability and serves as the Group's competence hub for the Circular Economy.

Massimiano Tellini - Head of Circular Economy at Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, participated in the panel "Tackling Plastics and Promoting Circularity to Achieve Sustainability Goals" on December 10. He joined other esteemed professionals, including Clemence Schmid (Director, Global Plastics Action Partnership, World Economic Forum), Franco Piza (Head of Sustainability, Grupo Bancolombia), Khadija Khan (Head of Social Impact Finance, Société Générale), and Lauren Clarke-Wiest (Head of Data and Analytics, Aon).

"Thanks to the invitation by UNEP FI to take part to the 2024 Global Roundtable in Geneva, we had the opportunity to share Intesa Sanpaolo’s commitment in supporting the acceleration of the systemic transition towards the CE. This is a confirmation of the leadership of the Group on the topic of CE thanks to the strategic vision of our CEO, the commitment of the top management and the concrete support provided also in our capacity as Strategic Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation since 2016. Thanks to the activities of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, which is the CE competence center for the Group and in close collaboration with the business units we made available for our clients two dedicated credit plafond for a cumulative amount of €15bn for the period 2018-2025. In addition, thanks to the collaboration with Cariplo Factory in Milan we launched the Circular Economy Lab aimed at supporting the business models transformative journey of the bank clients through the open innovation approach. In July 2024 ISP alongside the long-standing  collaboration with UNEPFI, the bank participated at the “NEXUS” project, leading a working group aimed at orienteering the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) towards the CE, which can be strategically levered on by the financial sector to boost the achievement of multiple objectives in terms of decarbonization, biodiversity restoration and local economies’ support."

Massimiano Tellini – Head of Circular Economy Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center