How we work on Sustainable Finance
The main drivers of deforestation and forest degradation are industrial agriculture, plantations, and logging. Unsustainable business practices linked to value chains pose the greatest risk to rainforests, whether legal or illegal. Therefore, RFN works to promote rainforest protection vis-à-vis financial institutions and companies, advocating for forest-dependent communities while supporting the implementation of net zero strategies in the financial sector and within value chain operations.
DEFORESTATION: Forest destroyed for commercial agriculture in the Brazilian Amazon. Photo: RFN
In our work with international investors, banks, and companies, we focus on UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 Life on Land and SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production.
With that in mind, we advocate for best practices in environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, alert financial institutions to material risks to which they may be exposed, and organise capacity development and knowledge exchange activities between the financial sector, academics and rainforest protection experts.
Our activities include organizing webinars, courses, conferences, and advising organizations that would like to improve their sustainability track record and manage their deforestation risks, while maintaining strong financial returns.
Examples of our work:
Tools for asset managers
RFN has partnered with Norwegian investors Storebrand and KLP to
publish a report featuring a mapping of tools for deforestation risk
management.
The mapping includes an overview of the evolution of private
sector initiatives on deforestation, examining how corporate disclosure
and policies have developed in line with regulatory changes.
In addition, it provides an analysis of the various investor statements on the expectations of companies in sectors that affect rainforests worldwide. The report is available here.
Promoting best practices and risk awareness
In partnership with investor networks such as the Emerging Markets Investors Alliance and the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, RFN has organized a series of webinars for asset managers, focusing on global best practices, policy and regulatory changes in key markets, and specific companies and value chains with high exposure to environmental, social, and governance risks. The webinars have featured prominent speakers from the Global South, policy experts, government officials, and large global investors as well as transnational companies with interests in rainforest countries.
Information and analysis on key emerging markets
Through policy analyses and a curated selection of media articles and reports sent to investors in our network, we bring information on market players, political and regulatory developments at global and national levels with a focus on the countries where we work. For an example of our policy analysis work focusing on emerging markets, click here. If you would like to subscribe to our newsletter, please send an email to sustainablefinance@rainforest.no
Nils Hermann Ranum
Team Leader, Deforestation-free Markets Program
(+47) 990 01 032
nils.hermann@rainforest.no
Claudia Melim-McLeod
Principal Advisor, China and Sustainable Finance
(+47) 957 77 506
Claudia@rainforest.no