Based on the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Guiding Principles are the result of co-operative efforts among a number of authorities in the UAE, namely the Dubai Financial Services Authority, the Central Bank, the Insurance Authority, the Securities and Commodities Authority, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of the Abu Dhabi Global Market, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre, the Dubai Financial Market, Nasdaq Dubai, and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.

The Guiding Principles were officially signed in a ceremony today at the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum (ADSFF) during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. The Guiding Principles are designed to encourage signatories to intensify their efforts to achieve increased implementation and integration of sustainable practices among the UAE’s financial entities and to secure a sustainable economic future for the UAE.

The DFSA, together with other financial regulators, authorities and bodies, has undertaken to implement appropriate measures to encourage and support financial services firms in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in developing strategies to incorporate sustainable practices in their business activities, decision-making, risk management and in the context of exploring new businesses. The DFSA’s participation in other fora such as the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), which it joined in July 2019, and the IOSCO Growth and Emerging Markets Committee, where the DFSA is represented on the Steering Committee, will inform our future actions in this area.

The DFSA’s CEO, Bryan Stirewalt, who participated in the Guiding Principles signing ceremony said: “The UAE is fortunate to have visionary leaders who are championing sustainability and economic development at a governmental level through initiatives such as the UAE Green Agenda 2030. The DFSA recognises the importance of sustainable finance and is committed to implementing standards and principles that foster the growth of sustainable practices in the DIFC. We look forward to working alongside our regulatory counterparts to continue developing the UAE into a global sustainable finance hub.”

The DIFC, as a leading international financial centre, currently ranked eighth globally in the Global Financial Centres Index, contributes to the growth and development of the UAE’s economy, including through its industry-led Sustainable Finance Working Group initiative launched jointly with the Dubai Financial Market in July 2019.