Much of our work on sustainability explores the future of the financial system. How it needs to evolve to meet growing challenges like climate change, resource constraints and a growing world population.
Outlined below is our work on the subject, culminating in the most innovative and challenging of projects; The Finance Innovation Lab.
Project: The Finance Innovation Lab
Our work
See the resources section for details of our work in this area including Outside insights and Convening the debate
The Finance Innovation Lab is an open environment in which people can come together to explore, innovate and evolve the financial system so that it sustains people and planet. The Lab cuts right across the work we do on Sustainable Business at ICAEW and contributes to all of our streams of work.
The Lab is co-convened by WWF-UK and ICAEW (the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales).
Our vision is a financial system that sustains people and planet.
Objectives
Our five year objectives are to:
- Build a diverse and influential community who act together to
- Experiment and incubate ideas to establish new and valuable solutions and
- Evolve new knowledge and practice, so that it can
- Stimulate systemic change
The story of the Lab
You can read a summary of the Lab and our story so far in our briefing document The Finance Innovation Lab September 2010 (PDF 184KB/7 pages) and on our online timeline.
How we work
With integrity: Acting with honesty and fairness to achieve our shared purpose
As a community: A global and diverse community that is open and supportive and nurtures strong relationships and networks.
Through co-creation: Working together through a process of open innovation.
By finding solutions: Creating a place to connect, test ideas and put them into practice.
Building collective intelligence: Learning by doing and evolving new knowledge and practice together.
Can I help? How do I get involved?
If you are interested in finding out more about this project email rachel.sinha@icaew.com.
Resources
- Convening the debate
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Sustainability conferences, roundtables, seminars and discussions hosted by us to spark new ideas
Event: WWF Credit Crunch Brunch
As part of the institute's Sustainable Business thought leadership programme, we hosted a debate with WWF From Credit Crunch to a Sustainable Future at Chartered Accountants' Hall.
The aim was to share ideas on how the financial crisis can offer a unique opportunity to change things for the better. Attendees included from organisations including HSBC, Forum for the Future, LloydsTSB, Barclays PLC, Investec, JP Morgan, Mercer, Merrill Lynch and Imperial College debated questions like; what is the future of finance? What will it look like? How can finance contribute to a sustainable future?
- Outside Insights
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A platform for our stakeholders to offer their perspective on sustainability issues - which inform our thinking and deserve to be shared
Publication: Qualitative Growth (2009)
This publication is by Dr. Hazel Henderson, a futurist, economist, syndicated columnist, consultant on sustainable development, and author Fritjof Capra, a physicist and philosopher, internationally famous author, teacher and an environmental activist. It questions whether GDP is a suitable measure for progress, an issue highlighted by other initiatives including EU's Beyond GDP project and by President Sarkozy's Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress.
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