Santander Brasil, Planet Tracker and the Crown Estate were among the winners of this year’s Finance for the Future Awards.

NatWest Group was the biggest winner of the night, winning the ‘Embedding an integrated approach’ and ‘Communicating integrated thinking’ categories, and receiving an additional award for its climate leadership.

Sustainable investment business Net Purpose won the ‘Moving financial markets’ category for small and medium-sized funds, projects and initiatives, with Santander Brasil winning for large organisations. The Crown Estate, Aviva Investors and UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges were all highly commended.

Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) and Planet Tracker were the first organisations to win the new ‘Nature and biodiversity leadership’ award, while AI software company AGAM International was given the award for ‘Social impact leadership’.

Here are the winners in full:

• Embedding an integrated approach: NatWest Group
  ─ Highly commended: The Crown Estate
• Moving financial markets (large organisations): Santander Brasil
  ─ Highly commended: Aviva Investors
• Moving financial markets (small and medium-sized funds, projects and initiatives): Net Purpose
• Communicating integrated thinking: NatWest Group
• Driving change in the finance community: Planet Tracker
  ─ Highly commended: UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) Initiative

Climate leadership:

• ADM
• NatWest Group
• UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) Initiative

Nature and biodiversity leadership:

• Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC)
• Planet Tracker

Social impact leadership:

• AGAM International

The Finance for the Future Awards recognise businesses, organisations and people that have demonstrated leadership to encourage sustainable practices. Established in 2012, the awards’ goal is to inspire, inform and influence people in the finance sector to embed sustainability in business decision-making.

The awards, which are run in partnership between ICAEW, Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) and Deloitte, were presented at a ceremony at London’s Mansion House, with an online option for international delegates.

“Professional accountants have a major role to play in securing the world we all want and need,” ICAEW Chief Executive Michael Izza said. “The lack of progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and achieving our climate ambitions could bring us to the brink of catastrophe. But the stories we hear in the FFTF Awards gives us reason to hope that business will redouble its efforts to secure our tomorrow. It also gives me hope that the profession will play the role we advocate for and lead the way.” 

We need action to get us back on track to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which means collaborating and learning from each other, said Veronica Poole, Vice Chair, Deloitte UK. “This year the Finance for the Future Awards recognised leaders in climate, social impact and nature and biodiversity, because all of these are key to a sustainable future, achieving a just transition and restoring harmony with the planet’s ecosystems.”

“In the run-up to COP28, the Finance for the Future Awards showcase innovative solutions and a roadmap towards a more sustainable future,” said Jessica Fries, A4S Executive Chairman. “With the gap between ambition and reality growing every day, these remarkable finance professionals offer a beacon of hope. Their achievements should serve as an inspiration to all.”