CSO Insights: How climate adaptation is hitting the mainstream for Midde East banks

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're talking to Vijay Bains, Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Head of Environmental, Social and Governance at Dubai-based Emirates NBD, one of the largest banks in the Middle East.

Vijay says the region and its banking sector are "doubling down on sustainability as a growth driver." He explains the growing focus on water in particular, and how this will influence sustainable finance trends.

"We're going to see a lot more blue finance," Vijay tells us. "It's a really material topic due to the water stress within the region."

In the face of climate change, the bank is also financing adaptation projects. "Adaptation for us is now hitting the mainstream," Vijay says.

This interview is the latest installment in our CSO Insights podcast series, where we interview Chief Sustainability Officers around the world about how they're navigating the changing sustainability landscape. Listen to other episodes in the series here.

Listen to our previous interview with Vijay here: Talking climate finance ahead of COP29 | S&P Global

Read research from S&P Global Sustainable1: For the world's largest companies, climate physical risks have a $1.2 trillion annual price tag by the 2050s | S&P Global

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