Environmental, social, and governance– better known as ESG– initiatives are hot topics across the fintech and banking sectors. And as a fintech and banking conference, we’ve taken a look at our own operations to improve our environmental, social, and governance practices.
Below is a breakdown of each ESG aspect, and what we are doing at FinovateFall this year to support and promote a healthier environment.
Environmental responsibility
Reducing carbon emissions
We’re reducing carbon emissions not only in the way we conduct FinovateFall, but also in how we travel to the event by carpooling and taking public transportation when possible.
Environmental sustainability content
FinovateFall will host dedicated on-stage content on environmental sustainability in fintech. In addition to featuring demos from fintechs supporting sustainability, we’re hosting a keynote by Greg O’Gara, Lead Analyst, Wealth Management at Javelin Strategy & Research on Climate Change, ESG & Financial Services, What Do Wall Street & Your Customers Want?
Sustainable development
Sustainable Fintech Scholarship
With our demo scholarship program, Finovate will spotlight underrepresented founders and startups tackling climate change, diversity, and financial inclusion. The program will also help us expand our demo line ups to include more voices, more perspectives, and more cutting-edge thinking within fintech.
Sustainable development goals
Our aim is for FinovateFall to promote long-term sustainable development – in the way that we run the event but also in how it’s implemented in the market as a whole. We are committing to:
- Using our content to support the sustainability of the fintech market
- Developing close partnerships with charities, companies and associations and giving them a platform to promote their work in the field
- Facilitating discussions on pertinent topics including diversity and inclusion, gender balance, sustainability trends, the impact on the environment, and more.
Governance
Operation Backpack
We are supporting Operation Backpack, a Volunteers of America non-profit that provides brand new backpacks and grade-specific school supplies to children living in homeless shelters throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Please help us support this important work by making a donation. Even a small contribution will help!
Diversity and inclusion content
We’re hosting a fireside chat on diversity, and one on financial inclusion. Jim Perry, Senior Strategist at Market Insights will discuss why diversity matters and Melissa Koide, CEO of FinRegLab will talk about driving purpose and profit through financial inclusion.
Startup Booster
FinovateFall’s Startup Booster program offers smaller fintechs a voice in front of a large investor audience. The program is limited to fintech and tech startups who are less than five years old and have raised, at most, Seed capital. Participants will attend a 60-minute reception that will offer face time with investors, as well as a dedicated cocktail table and sign at the event.
Our driving force
Overarching all of this is our initiative called FasterForward, our parent company Informa’s program that embeds sustainability into everything we do and aims to help our customers do the same. With FasterFoward, we are striving to achieve nine specific goals:
- Become carbon neutral as a business and across our products by 2025
- Halve the waste generated through our products and events by 2025
- Become zero waste and net zero carbon by 2030 or earlier
- Embed sustainability inside 100% of our brands by 2025
- Help and promote the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals through our brands
- Enable one million disconnected people to access networks and knowledge by 2025
- Contribute $5bn per year in value for our host cities by 2025
- Contribute value of at least 1% of profit before tax to community groups by 2025
- Save customers more carbon than we emit by 2025
Photo by Google DeepMind on Unsplash