BNP Paribas brings depth of sustainability experience to Singapore Green Finance Centre

BNP Paribas is pleased to support the Monetary Authority of Singapore in its efforts to establish a centre of excellence for green financing. Joris Dierckx, CEO of BNP Paribas Singapore, said, “BNP Paribas is delighted to be a founding partner of the Singapore Green Finance Centre (SGFC), which brings together academia and industry. SGFC will firmly place Singapore at the leading edge of innovation in green finance, playing a vital role in catalysing sustainable and green finance in the region.”

At the heart of BNP Paribas’ business is a commitment to build a more balanced and sustainable world. For almost 18 years – since it launched its first socially responsible investment fund in 2002 – the Bank has been supporting clients in implementing projects that make a positive societal and ecological impact. As at end-2019, BNP Paribas has devoted €180 billion to energy transition and the achievement of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals. The Bank has also received industry recognition as a market leader in the sustainability-linked loans (SLL) market, participating in 56 different SLLs from July 2019 to July 2020, acting as a lead on sustainability discussions in 14 of those transactions.

 BNP Paribas looks forward to co-creating solutions in a unique cross-sector initiative backed by strong regulatory support. The Bank will contribute to the SGFC in the areas of transition financing, taxonomy, finance and natural capital, as well as carbon accounting and disclosure. “We recognise that, as a Bank, we are at heart of the economy and have a unique opportunity to accelerate the financing of a more sustainable and inclusive future. In becoming a Founding Partner of the SGFC, we look forward to bringing our expertise as a leader in sustainable finance to the working groups and to participating in research co-creation projects,” Mr Dierckx said.

In Southeast Asia, transition financing for energy clients is a key priority for the Bank as it works toward its zero coal financing goal by 2030. Earlier this year, BNP Paribas issued equity-linked green bonds totalling A$140 million on the Australian Climate Transition Index – Australia’s first forward-looking climate index, which was jointly developed by BNP Paribas and ClimateWorks Australia. In recent years, BNP Paribas has been honoured with awards for its sustainability efforts. This year, the Bank has been named “Most ESG Responsible International Bank” and “Investment Bank of the Year for Sustainability-Linked Loans”.

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Pamela Chew         pamela.chew@asia.bnpparibas.com          +65 6210 1291