A major financial summit in Switzerland, supported by key Gulf institutions, will focus on responsible finance and seek inputs to make finance a force for good in the global economy.

The Responsible Finance & Investment (RFI) Summit 2017 will convene in Zurich on May 3 and 4 around the theme “Building Bridges, Expanding Impact” to forge stronger links between different parts of the responsible finance industry and identify actionable strategies to increase their positive impact on society.

The summit is an initiative of the RFI Foundation and Swiss Arab Network to build awareness of shared values that can bring socially responsible investing (SRI), environmental, social and governance (ESG) and Islamic finance together to increase their positive impact.

The public perception of the financial sector seems to continue to be negatively influenced by the effects of the global financial crisis. In the intervening years, many financial institutions appear to have responded by increasing consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into their business. Responsible finance, including Islamic finance, has positioned itself as an industry capable of supporting equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, said a statement.

Blake Goud, CEO of the RFI Foundation, said: “We are pleased with the response we have received since we announced the RFI Summit 2017. We are grateful to all our sponsors, including diamond sponsor Sedco Capital, and gold sponsors, DDCAP Group and Dubai Islamic Economy Development Center. We look forward to this summit that would both raise awareness of growth in responsible finance and identify the steps needed to expand its positive social impact.”

Hasan Al-Jabri, CEO of Sedco Capital, said: "The RFI Summit provides an excellent platform to build bridges between different approaches to responsible finance. We see it as being closely aligned with our Prudent Ethical Investment approach which we have used to connect different forms of responsible investment around similar values and a shared belief that finance can be a force for good in the global economy while still adding value to investors."

Stella Cox, managing Director of DDCAP Group, commented: “We have found many overlaps between the concerns of our customers who integrate ESG and those of our customers focused on adherence to Islamic financial principles. There is an increasing recognition that the financial sector is in a powerful position to contribute to a stronger, more inclusive economy and the RFI Summit provides a forum for the leaders across responsible finance to come together to chart the way forward.”

Abdulla Al Awar, CEO of the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre, said: “The RFI Summit 2017 is based on the theme ‘Building Bridges, Expanding Impact’ and will hopefully will serve as a unique platform to carry forward the discussion on how Islamic economy can contribute to translating a positive overall impact and ensure socio-economic development within a broader framework of sustainability. It is important to understand that Islamic economy is an inherent part of the responsible finance industry that is in a prime position to achieve long-term growth for the global economy.”

Other summit partners include: Alexander & Partner, the Bahrain Economic Development Board, Eiger Trading Advisors, Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen (FNG), IsFin, the Islamica 500, Luxembourg for Finance, Millenium Associates AG, Saudia, Swiss Finance + Technology Association, Swiss Sustainable Finance, Thomson Reuters and Zoccolillo Partner. - TradeArabia News Service