Three bottlenecks straining the integrity of sustainable finance
Sustainability is ubiquitous in the financial sector, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get it right. In fact, conversations with professionals reveal that there are quite a few frictions in practice
DSI and The Can Do Company spoke with industry experts about the tensions between sustainable ambitions and daily reality. From these discussions, three bottlenecks emerged that stand out because of their persistence as well as recognizability. They are briefly summarized in the dialogue document Between the Rules – intended to raise the awareness of professionals in the sector and seek dialogue.
Three recurring areas of tension emerge:
- Managing expectations: Companies, investors, government … who has what role in promoting sustainability? Sustainability seems measurable and manufacturable, but systemic pressure and false security often lead to greenwishing rather than real impact.
- Communicating effectively: How do we make the nuances and trade-offs around sustainability understandable? More data and transparency do not automatically lead to clarity or good advice, especially when knowledge differences complicate the dialogue.
- Active safeguarding: How do we prevent rules from unintentionally getting in the way of real change? Hopeful slogans and rule-driven check-off behavior sometimes replace substantive substantiation, threatening to lose real impact and trust.
Now what?
Between the Rules is used in DSI’s continuing professional competence program and deployed in conversations within organizations. Not an endpoint, therefore, but an invitation to dialogue.
Want to know more or get in touch with the initiators?
Download the dialogue document at www.dsi.nl/susfin or contact DSI.
