Leaders come together for the 2nd AfrAsia Bank Sustainability Summit to mobilise accelerated action for sustainable development

Building up on the successful inaugural launch of the AfrAsia Bank Sustainability Summit last year, AfrAsia Bank, in partnership with IBL Together and supported by the United Nations (UN) aims at raising the bar of discussion with a wider group of stakeholders under the theme “Driving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the next level”.  This two-day event, scheduled on 14 & 15 October at Caudan Arts Centre, will create discussion opportunities with a broad group of stakeholders, about how businesses impact on the economies, societies and environments in which they operate and establish the urgency for action. 

 

 

This year’s summit will feature the world renowned scientist and innovator Gunter Pauli, and bring together a wide array of actors including businesses, local authorities, international organisations and scientific community to help find solutions that would build a better world for people. Blue Economy, Green cities, Responsible tourism, and Environmental, Social and Corporate governance (ESG) investment will be among the topics of discussion while highlighting the value of dialogue in stepping up existing efforts on the sustainable development agenda. 

 

 

Commenting on the launch, Sanjiv Bhasin, Chief Executive Officer of AfrAsia Bank Limited, states “At this stage of the global economic development, the governments, corporate sector, and all of us as a collective body of humanity, have no choice but to demonstrate that we are accepting sustainable methods of conducting our daily activities. We have no choice but to ensure that we leave environment in a better shape than that we inherited it. We owe this to the generations that follow us.”

 

 

Mr. Arnaud Lagesse, Group CEO of IBL Together further adds that “This partnership marks the personal engagement of our Group to increase the global understanding of sustainability and the SDGs in Mauritius. We work actively to create a brighter future for everyone, and sustainability actionable changes form part and parcel of how we do business – by transforming existing systems and practices and by adopting new ones across the Group, wherever and whenever we do business.”

 

 

“SDGs provide all businesses with a new lens through which to translate the world’s needs and ambitions into business solutions. These solutions will enable companies to better manage their risks, anticipate consumer demand, build positions in growth markets, secure access to needed resources, and strengthen their supply chains, while moving the world towards a sustainable and inclusive development path” says H.E. Christine N. Umutoni, UN Resident Coordinator for Mauritius and Seychelles.

 

 

The 2019 edition will host the first AfrAsia Bank Sustainability Awards. This year, the summit has expanded its remit to recognise and support the innovators who are accelerating progress towards the SDGs. The award categories are the Best Sustainability Project and the Best Sustainable Business. The winners will be announced at the Summit on 14 October 2019. 

 

 

True to its commitment to sustainability and the environment, AfrAsia Bank will announce, during the summit, the launch of its new Green Car Loan for the continuous development of the electric and hybrid vehicle market. Driven by its “Bank Different” philosophy, the print communications for this campaign will be released on flower seed paper to reinforce AfrAsia Bank’s ecological initiatives towards a greener environment.