Forum Ethibel advises
Forum Ethibel supports institutional investors in drawing up and implementing their sustainable investment policy. Together with our clients, we translate the vision, norms and values of the organization into a sustainable investment policy. We investigate which elements you find important and together we tailor your investment policy accordingly.
The City of Ghent has been working with Forum Ethibel since 2020. “We have been paying attention to a sustainable financial policy in Ghent for a long time,” says Tom Vyncke, from the finance department of the City of Ghent. “As early as 2004, we as a city placed a rather symbolic amount on a savings and term account with Triodos Bank. This was done on the basis of our own research and comparisons: at that time there was absolutely no sustainability framework. It was actually during that period that I first came into contact with Forum Ethibel. One of the city's sustainable savings accounts is a sustainable savings account from VDK, which is certified by Forum Ethibel.”
In 2011, a framework for savings was introduced, using both positive and negative criteria. “During those years we have also systematically increased the minimum amount of sustainable treasury resources. I took many of the criteria and strategies that we installed at that time from Forum Ethibel's annual ERSIS study on sustainable savings and investments. I now receive this every year and it remains a very interesting tool to stay informed of the latest developments. ”
“We ultimately established a financial sustainability committee in 2021, which meets four times a year. In addition to colleagues from the city's environmental department, this also includes a specialist from Ghent University, for example. And also Sofie Versmissen, as permanent representative of Forum Ethibel.”
“It is an absolute added value to have Forum Ethibel on board. First and foremost because as an independent non-profit you can give your vision without any restrictions,” says Vyncke. “Forum Ethibel is an expert on many of the aspects discussed and the input of Sofie and her colleagues also helps to translate theoretical concepts into practice in a very concrete way.”
Vyncke sees sustainable financing becoming increasingly the standard in the coming years. This is a new aspect that Forum Ethibel is involved in: “Sustainability in the financial world has gained momentum in recent years. Forum Ethibel monitors all these new developments with and for us, so that our sustainability framework remains relevant. And they keep moving: we are now going to look at developing a general framework around green loans and credits.”