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Banking for a Sustainable Future

Climate change; pollution; rising sea levels threatening entire communities; working conditions failing to meet any adequate health and safety thresholds; discriminatory hiring practices…these seemingly unrelated issues all have something in common: they all are concrete examples of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, which those working in the small but growing field of responsible finance grapple with.

ESG issues are no longer an afterthought. They have gained in recent years increasing prominence, dominating political and business agendas in many jurisdictions over the world.

We are looking to hear your thoughts as to we can increase the uptake of green financial instruments among the investor community, and encourage issuers – those in need of financing – to adopt green financing solutions.

Students, Innovators, and Changemakers - show us your vision of a sustainable future with banking as a major driving force!

Fields to tackle

Transition to Low-carbon World

*Incentivizing capital for green and sustainable assets*

*Penalizing brown investments*

Social and Governance Issues

*Improving business ethics with clients*

*Committing for Diversity and Inclusion*

Examples of Potential Fields

This is a non-exhaustive list of a few present pain points.
This is only for your inspiration, feel free to come up with your own!

How can the banking industry shift from a green product focus to a green culture?
- Potential solutions: Electronic dissemination of all banking communication; shift financing from carbon-based energy projects towards renewable energies.
- Potential Tech involved: Hardware solutions for energy efficiency and software for monitoring of consumption and waste.
How can banks participate in and set up multi-stakeholder initiatives to define sustainability standards and create demand for sustainable commodities in markets?
What kind of minimum standards and mechanisms could be created to measure the real impact/ efficiency of the green stakeholders? We already have ESG performance standards but are they enough.
- Potential Tech involved: SaaS technologies, Data analytics, and Machine/Deep learning (AI)

Prizes and Awards

Natixis brings you a range of prizes to win!

1^ST
First Place
2^ND
Second Place
3^RD
Third Place

1^ST

A trip to Paris
with an invitation to a Green conference
+

Pitch the idea to Natixis APAC Exco and Natixis Green Hub team + a visit of the Hong Kong office
+
Interview Invitation for potential internships*
(ideally for project implementation & if team availability matches)

2^ND

5,000 HKD / member of the team

Invitation to next upcoming “green” conference sponsored by Natixis in Hong Kong

+
Interview Invitation for potential internships *

3^RD

3,000 HKD/member of the team

Interview Invitation for potential internships *

About Natixis

Natixis is the international corporate and investment banking, asset management, insurance and financial services arm of Groupe BPCE, the 2nd-largest banking group in France with 31 million clients spread over two retail banking networks, Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne.

With more than 21,000 employees, Natixis has a number of areas of expertise that are organized into four main business lines: Asset & Wealth Management, Corporate & Investment Banking, Insurance and Specialized Financial Services.

A global player, Natixis has its own client base of companies, financial institutions, and institutional investors as well as the client base of individuals, professionals and small and medium-sized businesses of Groupe BPCE’s banking networks.

Listed on the Paris stock exchange, it has a solid financial base with a CET1 capital under Basel 3⁽¹⁾ of €11.9 billion, a Basel 3 CET1 Ratio ⁽¹⁾ of 10.8 % and quality long-term ratings (Standard & Poor’s: A / Moody’s: A1 / Fitch Ratings: A).

⁽¹⁾Based on CRR-CRD4 rules as reported on June 26, 2013, including the Danish compromise - without phase-in.

Figures as at June 30, 2018

Natixis recent initiatives

To give you more context

Two years after ceasing financing for the coal industry worldwide, Natixis is making new commitments in favor of the climate and the environment. Natixis will introduce in 2018 an internal “Green Incentive” mechanism geared to further aligning its financings with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and reinforcing its contribution to the transition toward a low-carbon economy. Natixis also pledges to no longer finance oil extracted from tar sands or companies whose business primarily relies on exploiting oil extracted from tar sands. Natixis also pledges to no longer finance oil exploration and production in the Arctic.

Natixis is taking part in European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW) for the thirteenth consecutive year. The event takes place from May 30 to June 5, 2018, with Natixis organizing a series of events and activities for its employees. The aim of this annual event is to promote Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a European-wide scale. ESDW encourages stakeholders everywhere, including governments, companies, and society at large, to make an active contribution to achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Natixis innovates on climate action by introducing the first Green Weighting Factor for its financing deals to comply with the Paris Agreement goal. The Green Weighting Factor is an in-house capital allocation mechanism that aims to promote finance deals with a positive impact on both the climate and the environment, by adjusting the expected profitability threshold on these various transactions according to their effects on climate change. The Green Weighting Factor system will be rolled out by the end of 2018 and will gradually apply to new asset or project finance deals, as well as corporate loans by Natixis across its various business sectors worldwide.

Natixis, a leader in green finance solutions, joins China’s pre-eminent committee charged with developing the nation’s green finance industry Natixis today announced that it has become a member of China’s Green Finance Committee (GFC), in a move that testifies to the bank’s expertise and strong ambitions in green finance. Formed by leaders from China’s financial community, including regulators, banks, asset managers and insurers, the GFC has the mandate to promote and scale up green finance in China.

Natixis is pleased to announce the recent signing of the global EUR 420m financing in favor of Séché Environnement (“Séché”), France’s leading independent operator in France in the recovery and treatment of all types of waste, from industry to local community and a major player in circular economy and energy recovery solutions for waste.

Natixis published the research “The next big Challenge: Greening Belt and Road”.

Natixis was proud to host on Monday the 3th of September a press conference announcing the upcoming launch of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA), an industry association devoted to the development of green finance in Hong Kong and -- because of Hong Kong’s standing as a financial hub -- in the entire Asia Pacific region. The HKFGA comprises more than 85 different institutions -- including Natixis -- from different corners of the financial services industry (including banks, asset managers, insurance companies), which, under the banner of HKGFA, will work collectively towards the transition to a greener and more sustainable economy. Alain Gallois, CEO of Asia Pacific, Natixis CIB, delivered opening remarks in his capacity of Honorary Vice Chairman of the association, before giving the floor to Chaoni Huang, Director, Green Financial Hub, Asia Pacific, who moderated the press conference as Vice President and Secretary General of the HKGFA. Other HKGFA representatives in attendance included Dr Ma Jun, Chairman and President of the HKGFA, and Jonathan Drew, Vice President of the HKGFA, who spoke of the pressing need to scale up green finance amid mounting environmental concerns before outlining the ambitions of the association, in a region where the uptake of ESG products among institutional investors remains limited, and where the infrastructure gap is forecast to exceed US$26 trillion by 2030, according to the ADB. The press conference was attended by more than 15 journalists representing a combination of local, regional and international media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, the South China Morning Post, GlobalCapital and AsianInvestor, to name just a few. Very promising for HKGFA’s first conference to be held on September 21st!

Natixis has been named Most Innovative Investment Bank for Climate & Sustainability at The Banker Awards 2018, receiving the honor in London in early September. This industry recognition applauds Natixis’ commitment to the fight against global warming and our efforts to promote energy transition and is also a clear demonstration of Natixis’ aim of becoming a key bank in the green and responsible finance space.

Euromoney’s Fixed Income Research Survey recognized Natixis’ Credit Research Team with several awards, including first place in the “ESG and Green Bonds” category, against third in 2017. This ranking reflects Natixis’ willingness to place green and sustainable at the very forefront of its operations.

Please find here more examples of Natixis' recent initiatives