Host: Eleonore Treu, ICC Austria

Featuring: Kwabena Ayirebi from AfreximBank, Isaac Mahanke from Standard Bank

Moderator: Deepesh Patel from Trade Finance Global

ICC Austria Talks trade with Trade Finance Global on an Africa focused panel on sustainable trade finance, its increasing importance and how financial institutions can contribute towards ensuring trade becomes as sustainable as possible.

Africa, as a continent, is highly reliant on agricultural goods, therefore, sustainability and economic progression come hand-in-hand. The understanding that all resources are finite, has made so that all decisions go through a rigorous process of assessing its long-term implications to ensure they don’t compromise the longevity of all African countries.

This discussion delved deep into:

• What is sustainable trade finance and why is it such a hot topic right now?
• Is trade really a sustainable business, and given the definition of ‘trade’, how can we green up trade?
• What are the most important considerations when it comes to ESG?
• Can sustainable trade finance be priced efficiently?
• Should we incentivise sustainable trade?
• What’s the role of a development bank e.g. Afreximbank in encouraging local banks and businesses to consider sustainable trade finance?

Sustainability is most definitely a journey, one that we all must embark on together. However, it is one where we do not get to decide whether we want to join or not. We must all rise to the challenge and, similarly, to African institutions’ efforts, we must strive to find the balance between growth and longevity.