Delegates to the seventh Global Sustainable Finance Conference, supporting the UN-backed sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement (COP21), collectively referred to as ‘Agenda 2030’, have signed the ‘Karlsruhe Resolution’ at theCity Hall, Karlsruhe, Germany on the 13 July 2017.

The signing ceremony drew over 200 delegatesfrom over 30 countries includinghigh-ranking public officials and senior members of the international finance industry who watched the signing of the resolution, among others, by European Organisation for Sustainable DevelopmentCEOArshad RabandAlliance Finance Co. PLC (AFC)Sri LankaManaging DirectorRomani De Silva. The Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe, Dr. Frank Mentrup also signed the resolution as a witness.

Alliance FinanceDeputy Chairman/Managing DirectorRomani De Silva stated: “This resolution strengthens our position as a key promoter of sustainable financing in Sri Lanka in keeping with our vision, core values and the triple bottom line oriented business philosophy.The signing of this resolution reaffirms our continued commitment and contribution to the transformation ofoureconomy facilitating financial inclusions whilst being in alignment with sustainable development goals.

The resolution stresses the important role of the financial services industry in achieving the aspirations of Agenda 2030 such as, among others, financing and investing in the implementation of the SDGs and COP21 projects in their respective countries, calling on governments and regulatory institutions to create policy frameworks that promote investments in innovation that will contribute in creating a green, inclusive and sustainable economy and calling for a collective global action to ensure a level-playing field for all financial sector players.

The crafting of the ‘Karlsruhe Resolution’ was a joint undertaking of the European Organization for Sustainable Development (EOSD), the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP), the Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI) and the City of Karlsruhe.