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AmCham EU reiterates its commitment to sustainable finance

4 Feb 2019
All Committees
Sustainable Finance

Given the co-legislators' ongoing discussions on the sustainable finance package published by the European Commission in May, and the importance of this project in the years to come, AmCham EU's January Plenary meeting was dedicated to showcasing our members' continued commitment to sustainable finance. 

In his keynote address, John Berrigan, Deputy Director-General, DG FISMA, European Commission welcomed industry's commitment to sustainable finance and stressed the importance for the next Commission's agenda to continue focusing on this important area. There was broad agreement that AmCham EU's three key principles (1) regulatory certainty and economic stability (2) evidence-based policy and (3) international openness should continue to be at the core of the policy-makers' thinking. 

The meeting included a panel discussion featuring:

  • Lieve Wierinck, Member of the European Parliament (ALDE, BE) 
  • Suzanne Buchta, Managing Director, Global Head of ESG Capital Markets, Bank of America Merrill Lynch 
  • Asdin El Habbassi, Adviser, Industrial and Energy Policy, BusinessEurope 
  • Moderated by David Henry Doyle, Chair, AmCham EU Sustainable Finance Task Force and Head of Government Affairs & Public Policy - EMEA, S&P Global 

The panel analysed the main components of the sustainable finance package currently being debated by the co-legislators and identified key priorities for the next Commission. Panellists agreed on the importance of ensuring each element remains flexible, clear and objective to achieve the goal of leveraging the potential of private capital. In addition, it was made clear the continuation of the sustainable finance project will be essential to tackle the challenges of the transition to a low-carbon economy. 

AmCham EU believes broad cross-stakeholder collaboration will be critical to fully realising the potential of the Commission's Action Plan, and looks forward to working closely with the Commission, Parliament and civil society in the months and years to come. 

For more information, please contact Stefano Marmo at sma@amchameu.eu