Attracting sustainable EU investment for a green and just transition - the role of sustainable finance taxonomies

The event was opened by master of ceremonies Albertus Louw, a South African television personality and award-winning presenter of the long-running environmental TV show 50/50.

South Africa’s green finance taxonomy is an essential tool for facilitating cross-border financial capital flows, said Vukile Davidson, chief-director of financial sector policy in the South African National Treasury.

Any tool that can smooth the process of using private funds to augment state action against climate change is critically important to humanity’s survival, according to European Union (EU) Ambassador to South Africa Sandra Kramer.

Andreas Hoepner, who is lead author of the report, Comparison of South Africa’s Green Taxonomy to the EU Taxonomy, said he and his team were “very impressed” with the South African taxonomy. Overall, there was 78% equivalence between the two taxonomies in terms of the level of ambition set out.

Watch the full panel discussion with participants from Standard Bank, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, Nordea Asset Management, Andra AP-fonden and the European Investment bank.

Deputy head of Mission in the Czech Republic’s Embassy to South Africa, Milan Frola, thanked all involved in drafting the South African green finance taxonomy, and in researching its alignment with the EU taxonomy, for their hard work.