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ESG and sustainability have become dominating issues in the world economy. But ESG regulation is evolving and to date no internationally recognised standards have emerged. This presents a huge challenge for banks, which are struggling to integrate ESG into their risk management framework. The challenge is especially acute for commodity trade finance, which is exposed to multiple ESG risks that are poorly understood. And with compliance and reporting standards strengthening by the day, the banks that finance commodity trade need to overhaul their risk management approach urgently.
This course has been designed to directly address these challenges, providing bank professionals with the information and context they need to understand how sustainability issues impact commodity trade finance.
Course highlights:
» Sustainability factors and impacts
» The different approaches and frameworks that are being developed to manage ESG risk
» A range of guiding documents and frameworks that can be used to successfully integrate ESG into the risk management of commodity trade finance
Key discussion points:
» The ICC Principles for Sustainable Trade and the industry’s response to them, including the ITFA white paper co-authored by our host, Dr Tedd George, which argues that Western-designed standards will not work in African markets and could end up making the trade finance gap worse, especially for SMEs. Read the publication.
» The likely impact of new EU rules approved that will ban the import of any goods linked to deforestation by the end of 2024, potentially upending existing export models. Read the press release.
The delivery of this course is highly interactive, with plenty of opportunities for students to discuss the topics covered in the course and relate them directly to their own work and experience in commodity trade finance.
» Gain 7 CPD points
This event content is accredited by The London Institute of Banking & Finance as meeting the standard for ongoing CPD towards recertification of International Trade Finance Qualifications
Discounts and promotions
» 10% Early booking discount – Available until February 16
Early booking discount available for new registrations only and not in conjunction with additional discounts. 10% is automatically processed during online checkout or with a GTR team member.
Event announcements
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Agenda
The training will include a number of polls (using Mentimeter) to gauge student knowledge and expertise, and the discussions will be highly interactive, with plenty of opportunities for students to discuss the topics covered in the course and relate them directly to their own work and experience in commodity trade finance.
Day 1
09.00-09.10 GMT
Opening words from trainer, Dr Tedd George, housekeeping, course outline and objectives of Day 1, opening polls
09.10-10.10 GMT
Background to Sustainability and ESG
- What is ESG financing and what are the key growth drivers
- Environmental factors
- Social factors
- Governance factors
- How exposed is commodity trade finance to ESG factors?
10.10-10.20 GMT
Break
10.20-11.20 GMT
ESG approaches and materiality
- Group Exercise: How exposed is your business/client to ESG risks?
- Materiality of ESG, including transmission channels
- Negative impacts of ESG, with focus on commodity & trade value chain
- ESG data and ratings
- ESG assessment tools & approaches
11.20-11.30 GMT
Break
11.30-12.20 GMT
Group discussion on how ESG risks impact businesses, clients and services in the commodity trade finance space
This moderated group discussion will explore how ESG factors impact your business. How do these risks manifest, where do they have the strongest impacts (e.g. profitability, cost of risk, reputational damage?), and which sectors are most exposed? Does your business have a sustainability strategy and transition plan, and what tools are at your disposal to address ESG risks and impacts?
12.20 GMT
Wrap up & final questions
12.30 GMT
End of Day 1
Day 2
09.00-09.10 GMT
Opening words, housekeeping, Quizfire Quiz on Day 1’s material
09.10-10.10 GMT
ESG risks and the transition to a net-zero carbon economy
- What is climate change and what are its key impacts on business
- The low-carbon economy and Net Zero expectations of banks & their clients
- Transition risk
- Physical risk
- Implications for banks, traders & producers of commodities
10.10-10.20 GMT
Break
10.20-11.20 GMT
The evolving ESG regulatory landscape for commodity trade
- Regulating the ‘transition’, including the SDGs, Paris Accords, TCFD
- The barriers to making commodity trade sustainable
- The mismatch between trade finance and ESG regulation
- Key initiatives to integrate ESG into commodity trade finance, including ICC, ITFA
- Key tools for managing ESG regulatory requirements and risks
11.20-11.30 GMT
Break
11.30-12.20 GMT
Group Exercise
Review of case study on a Dubai-based company seeking finance for exports of LNG from the UAE to Germany. Students will be put into breakout groups (4-5 people in each) to review the case study. The exercise will include a comprehensive review the ESG risks and assessment of the impacts, after which students will jointly develop measures to avoid or mitigate these impacts. There will be a focus on looking for opportunities to convert risks into financing and business, as well as on identifying areas where trade finance has unique requirements to integrate ESG factors. Each breakout group will share its findings as part of a broad group discussion, tying together the learnings of the training.
12.20-12.30 GMT
Wrap up & key takeaways
12.30 GMT
End of Day 2
The host
Dr Tedd George
Tedd George (Dr Edward George) is a thought leader and strategic advisor on African markets, trade finance and disruptive technology. He advises on a number of Fintech & agritech projects in Africa, trains financial professionals on sustainability issues, and is a regular speaker at conferences, producer of webinars and podcasts, and commentator in the media (see www.kleosadvisory.uk for details). Tedd has a number of specialities, including agribusiness, commodity value chains, trade and trade finance, disruptive technology (fintech & tradetech), and ESG.
Tedd developed and has been delivering this training for GTR since November 2022, both in person and online. Tedd is part of the ICC Sustainable Trade Finance Standards Wave 2 consultation and includes the latest developments and major debates on the topic in this training.
Founder and Chief Narrative Officer, Kleos Advisory Ltd
Venue: Online