Defining "green" in the context of green finance : final report

Landmark international steps were taken with the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. These commitments, and the growing awareness of the urgency to address climate change and environmental degradation, as well as the importance of maintaining the EU's competitiveness, call for a better alignment of the financial system with EU policies supporting sustainability while reducing environmental risks. This report presents an overview and analysis of worldwide efforts on defining "green" for green bonds, lending and listed equity. It describes the means and scope for identifying green assets and activities through conceptual definitions, taxonomies, ratings methodologies and other mechanisms. It suggests policy actions, which the European Commission could consider to support the development of "green" definitions, and discusses possible implications of such actions. Its preliminary findings are intended to feed into the work of the EU High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance. The findings of the study are based on data collected through literature review, interviews and a survey with stakeholders of the European and international financial community, including asset owners, asset managers and others. The study is complemented by a list of available "green" definitions, descriptions and assessments of selected definitions, as well as a comparison of available green sectoral taxonomies.