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Categories for the 9th Finance for the Future Awards

We are looking for examples of best practice, across five different categories, that could be transformational in building a sustainable organisation.

The categories are:

1. Moving financial markets

This award recognises organisations that have investment activities, products and services that demonstrate ambition to build a more sustainable financial system.

Entrants must demonstrate:

  • That sustainability is embedded in their investment activities, products or services.
  • That these are enabling the generation of environmental and/or social benefits IN ADDITION TO delivering positive financial outcomes.
  • That they are actively working to enable successful adoption and scale.

2. Communicating integrated thinking

This award recognises organisations that are demonstrating clearly, through communicating to their providers of financial capital, how sustainability is practising authentic integrated thinking and are communicating this to their providers of financial capital. The communications must explain how sustainability is embedded in the organisation’s overall strategy and decision-making process. The finance team must play a critical role in achieving this.

Entrants must demonstrate:

  • They are able to articulate clearly what integrated thinking means to them and to their providers of financial capital.
  • They are practising authentic integrated thinking and are communicating this effectively across a range of communications.
  • The finance team is critical in achieving this.

3. Driving change in the finance community

This award recognises the contribution of individuals, organisations or joint-entrants in driving action to integrate sustainability through education, training and academia. Entries can be self-nominated or nominated by a third party and must be relevant to the wider accounting or finance community.

Entrants must demonstrate:

  • How the activity benefits the future of finance, e.g. through supporting and/ or inspiring the development of sustainable business models.
  • How the activities generate or are likely to influence the generation of tangible environmental and/or social benefits IN ADDITION TO positive financial outcomes.
  • How the activities have changed or could change current standard practices.

4. Embedding an integrated approach

This award recognises organisations where sustainability is embedded in the overall strategy and decision-making processes. The award showcases where the finance team plays a critical role in achieving this.

Entrants must demonstrate:

  • Where sustainability is embedded in the overall strategy and decision-making processes. The award showcases where the finance team plays a critical role in achieving this.
  • They generate tangible environmental and/or social benefits IN ADDITION TO delivering positive financial outcomes.
  • The involvement of the finance team is critical in achieving both of the above.
  • That the approach is EITHER of a financially significant size to the organisation OR if successful, could be scaled up.

5. Innovative project

This award recognises innovative projects that have the potential to change organisations to be more sustainable. The finance team must be integral to this project OR the project must have the potential to shift how finance teams operate.

Entrants must demonstrate:

  • The project is innovative and has clear inputs from OR outcomes for finance teams. 
  • That the project is EITHER of a strategically significant size to the organisation OR is a pilot  which, if successful, could be scaled up or replicated.
  • The project has or is expected to lead to tangible environmental and/or social benefits IN ADDITION TO delivering positive financial outcomes.

Climate leadership

With the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, COP26, being hosted in the UK in 2021, climate change is also a focus for the 9th Finance for the Future programme.

Leadership may take a number of forms. It can be seen in new or purpose led enterprise that is providing innovative solutions, but it can also be seen in large, carbon-intensive companies making clear commitments and putting in place plans and targets to support the transition path to low-carbon business. Together, these examples can accelerate the response by sectors to climate change and provide solutions to enable the transition.

There is no separate application for this award. If your entry demonstrates a compelling climate element there is an opportunity to showcase your response to climate change and your examples of climate leadership with in your entry form.

The following examples of climate leadership were recognised at the 2019 awards ceremony:

  • Climate Change & Finance at Imperial College Business School
  • Ecology Building Society
  • Stora Enso
  • SSE plc