Conference ESG Environmental/Social/Governance

The Foreign Investors Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina (FIC), AIRE Center and Sustineri Partners organized a conference “Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) and the Western Balkans – Towards Sustainable Business” in Sarajevo. In addition to the participants in-live, the gathering was followed by about 200 participants through the online platform. ” The Foreign Investors Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina is committed to connecting the entire region with the aim of monitoring new standards and obligations, which may particularly affect the business of foreign companies and large exporters. We recognize the possibilities of companies here and use ESG standards, not as an obligation, but as a challenge and an opportunity “, said Sanja Miovcic, Executive Director of FIC. The conference was opened by introductory speeches moderated by Elma Veledar Arifagić from the company “dmb consulting”. The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Bosnia and Herzegovina Matt Field opened the conference, expressing support for the goals of the conference. The program director of the AIRE Center for the Western Balkans, Biljana Braithwaite, added: “For those of us who have been present in the region for many years and working to improve the rule of law and human rights in an effort to respond to the challenges of European integration and globalization. networking, the topic of today’s meeting is a long-awaited step forward because we are talking about the responsibility of the business sector, and the contribution it can make in these processes. ” The conference brought together representatives of companies with experience in implementing and monitoring ESG standards in their operations in the Western Balkans, representatives of key international organizations and financial institutions, and numerous international experts on ESG standards in Europe. At the first panel “ESG – the path to sustainable growth and investment” spoke the UN Resident Coordinator in BiH, Dr. Ingrid Macdonald, Head of the World Bank Office for BiH and Montenegro Christopher Sheldon, Head of the IFC Office for BiH Lada Buševac, Head of the EBRD Office for BiH Manuela Naessl and Herman Brill, Director of Arabesque Asset Management. Leaders of key financial investments encouraged the continuation of activities to promote the ESG standard in the country and the region. The program was followed by a presentation on the role of ESG in the banking sector and was addressed by Giuesppe Zammarachi, Head of Sustainability and ESG Policy of UniCredit Group. The afternoon discussion “Western Balkans and ESG Standards: Opportunity or Necessity” was moderated by Marija Jovanović, a professor at the University of Essex and an expert in the field of human rights protection in the business sector. After the discussions, the program director of the AIRE Center for the Western Balkans moderated the final discussion and adoption of conclusions, which was attended by over 200 participants online and 50 guests who had the opportunity to watch the conference in Sarajevo.