19th annual Proxfin meeting: spotlight on climate justice and action!
From September 5 to 7, the 19th annual meeting of the international Proxfin network, which we have the privilege of coordinating, took place in Bali, Indonesia, on the sidelines of the Asian Credit Union Forum.
The theme of our meeting: Improving our practices to build a more inclusive and sustainable future. At the heart of the discussions: climate justice, financing sustainable development and the ways in which inclusive finance institutions can increase the resilience of vulnerable populations and ensure that no one is left behind.
The event opened with a colorful ceremony led by our Asian hosts. A great moment of pride and discovery!
Our colleague Gabrielle Sangollo, Environment and Responsible Finance Advisor at DID, then explained how financial inclusion is an essential lever for climate justice. She followed up her presentation with a quiz on climate and biodiversity, which allowed participants to put their knowledge and learning into practice. This was a powerful and entertaining way to gain a clearer understanding of the climate issues that affect us all, and of the measures we can take to deal with them more effectively!
Robert Cheberiak, Director of Investments at DID, introduced the discussions on financing sustainable development by presenting the new Aequitas impact fund recently launched by DID.
Two round-table discussions enabled a number of panellists to share their diverse points of view and experiences in relation to the issues addressed. They came from the four corners of the globe: Haiti, Kenya, Mali, the Philippines and Zambia.
Dynamic and inspiring, the presentations and discussions that punctuated our meeting enabled us to deepen our reflection, strengthen our determination and, above all, identify concrete courses of action to build a more inclusive and sustainable future together.
Inclusive finance: a driver of climate justice
At a time when climate-related issues are having an ever-greater impact on the well-being of populations and the development of communities, it is reassuring to remember that inclusive finance institutions have several key assets at their disposal:
- they are close to their communities and familiar with their needs and realities
- they are already committed to and expert in education and awareness-raising,
- they are agile, able to innovate, build partnerships and coordinate the efforts of many stakeholders.
By facilitating access to credit and insurance and encouraging savings, inclusive finance institutions directly help communities to adopt more sustainable practices and increase their resilience in the face of climate challenges.
About Proxfin
Since 2006, Proxfin has enabled DID's partner inclusive finance institutions to share their vision, best practices and innovations relating to financial inclusion, economic empowerment and sustainable development. After welcoming the Ghana Co-operative Credit Union Association (CUA) Ltd this year (a warm welcome!), Proxfin now has 31 members from 22 countries. Together, these financial institutions reach over 20 million people, half of whom are women.
