WSBI-ESBG

📢 ESBG welcomes the #Omnibus package’s push for simpler, more proportionate corporate green rules The European Commission’s Omnibus package is a step in the right direction - balancing the Green Deal’s objectives with much-needed simplification of sustainability reporting. 🔹 #CSDDD: We support the move towards more realistic implementation timelines, proportionate requirements for financial services, and balanced due diligence rules. 🔹 #CSRD: Reducing excessive reporting, delaying sector-agnostic standards, and removing sector-specific ones are crucial steps forward. The trickle-down effect on smaller companies must be minimized. 🔹 #EUTaxonomy: Simplifying Do No Significant Harm (#DNSH) criteria and ensuring transition activities are properly considered are key to a more effective framework. Reviewing the #GreenAssetRatio (GAR) will also help ensure it serves as a practical tool for banks. For over a century, European savings and retail banks have fueled local economies and long-term growth. With the right regulatory framework, they can continue driving the sustainable transition - effectively, responsibly, and with lasting impact. 📩 Adrien Boudet & Andreea L. 👉 Read the press release https://lnkd.in/edUmwdq5

💡 What does it take to make smart financial decisions? Critical thinking, strategy, and hands-on experience - all of which the European #StockMarketLearning competition provides! On 21 March, ESBG is bringing the winners together in Brussels to celebrate their journey in financial education. From their first virtual trade to standing on the winners' stage, these participants have shown that #LearningByDoing makes all the difference. ℹ️ https://lnkd.in/egSpEy8A

📢 #Omnibus initiative: ESBG calls for simplification, proportionality, and consistency. The drive for a greener, more sustainable economy must go hand in hand with clear, practical regulations that support financial institutions and SMEs. Ahead of the Commission's Omnibus initiative proposal, the European Savings and Retail Banking Group calls for a balanced approach that fosters sustainability while ensuring simplification and feasibility.   Key points include: 🔸Simplify the EU #Taxonomy framework to make it more practical and avoid unnecessary complexity. 🔸Reduce reporting burdens under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (#CSRD) so sustainability reporting adds value rather than becoming a bureaucratic exercise. 🔸Ensure due diligence obligations under the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (#CSDDD) remain workable, so they do not limit access to private financing. 🔸Strengthen proportionality in #ESG risk reporting under Pillar 3 to avoid excessive requirements for smaller institutions. For over a century, European savings and retail banks have been pillars of local economies, financing businesses and supporting long-term growth. With the right regulatory framework, they can continue driving the sustainable transition, responsibly, effectively, and with lasting impact. 📌Read our proposals: https://lnkd.in/gssnQ7Ji 📌Read the position paper: https://lnkd.in/gjctCmrP 📩 Adrien Boudet & Andreea L.

👩💻 Harnessing technology for a more inclusive future The #GlobalDigitalCompact (#GDC), adopted at the UN Summit of the Future on 22 September 2024 and endorsed by the WSBI-ESBG General Assembly on 29 October 2024, sets a roadmap for inclusive and responsible digital transformation. From AI-powered solutions to digital public infrastructure (#DPI), technology is reshaping finance, driving innovation, and expanding financial inclusion. WSBI-ESBG supports a digital future that serves all communities. 💡 Key priorities? Bridging the digital divide, ensuring data privacy, fostering ethical AI, and alignment with the UN #SDGs. 👉 Read more: https://lnkd.in/ehQdis_V 📩 Contact Weselina Angelow

📌 Meet ESBG’s New President: Nicolas Namias Nicolas Namias, CEO of Groupe BPCE steps in as the new President of ESBG for a three-year mandate, bringing his expertise and vision for a banking sector that is competitive, resilient, and inclusive. In this interview, he discusses how savings and retail banks can continue to support local communities, finance key transitions, and adapt to regulatory changes, all while upholding the principles of #ResponsibleBanking. 👉 Discover his insights https://lnkd.in/eUgi4e3P

📢 One month to go! Theory meets practice in the European #StockMarketLearning competition - a challenge where students and young professionals trade virtual capital, experiment with investment strategies, and gain real-world financial skills. On 21 March, ESBG will welcome the most successful teams to📍Brussels, where winners will be recognized, connections will be made, and knowledge will be shared. #LearningByDoing ℹ️ https://lnkd.in/enxEWu-2

🌍 WSBI-ESBG & JuST Institute: Driving climate finance for smallholders & MSMEs🌱 Building climate resilience requires long-term investments, especially for smallholder farmers who need financing solutions that align with multi-crop cycles. WSBI-ESBG fosters public-private partnerships to mobilize funding for climate-resilient agriculture, supporting member banks and microfinance institutions in qualifying for European Investment Bank (EIB) and DFIs (Proparco, BIO Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries) guarantees and credit lines. We also assist our members in designing climate finance instruments by translating ecosystem-based adaptation tools into local financial solutions, helping smallholders adopt climate-resilient farming models. Through our partnership with JuST Institute, we strengthen climate finance capacity by: ✅ Supporting smallholder farmers & MSMEs in accessing climate financing ✅ Enabling biodiversity preservation through nature-based solutions ✅ Enhancing financial inclusion for rural communities by reducing climate vulnerability The JuST Institute further reinforces these efforts by providing analysis and certification of sustainable practices and financial portfolios, training and capacity building for financial institutions, structuring of dedicated financial instruments and verification of progress and impact against climate and inclusion objectives. Together, we advance #justtransition, #climateadaptation, #biodiversityconservation, and #socialinclusion.

🎓Financial skills last a lifetime. That’s why ESBG and its partnering members DekaBank, dpa-AFX Wirtschaftsnachrichten GmbH, DSGV - Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband, Finances & Pédagogie, Österreichischer Sparkassenverband, Acri and Spuerkeess are committed to empowering young adults with the knowledge they need to navigate finance with confidence. On 21 March 2025, top teams from across Europe will gather in Brussels for the European #StockMarketLearning Awards - a chance to learn, connect, and be recognized. #LearningByDoing 👉 Read more: https://lnkd.in/enxEWu-2

⚖️ Striking the right balance: ESBG’s practical recommendations on the #Omnibus initiative   The drive for a greener, more sustainable economy must go hand in hand with clear, practical regulations that support financial institutions and SMEs. Ahead of the Commission's Omnibus initiative proposal, the European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG) calls for a balanced approach that fosters sustainability while ensuring simplification and feasibility.   Key points include: 📌 Simplify the #EUTaxonomy to make it more practical and avoid unnecessary complexity. 📌Reduce reporting burdens under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (#CSRD) so sustainability reporting adds value rather than becoming a bureaucratic exercise. 📌Ensure due diligence obligations under the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (#CSDDD) remain workable, so they do not limit access to finance, particularly for SMEs. 📌Strengthen proportionality in ESG risk reporting under Pillar 3 to avoid excessive requirements for smaller institutions. For over a century, European savings and retail banks have been pillars of local economies, financing businesses and supporting long-term growth. With the right regulatory framework, they can continue driving the sustainable transition, responsibly, effectively, and with lasting impact.   ℹ️ Read our proposals https://lnkd.in/eFPXFfcp   Contact: Adrien Boudet & Andreea L.

🇫🇮 Finland’s Someron Savings Bank visits ESBG for a two-day policy-focused exchange. Earlier this week, ESBG welcomed a delegation from Someron Säästöpankkiryhmä led by its CEO Petri Siviranta for two days of discussions on EU policy and regulation. Covering key topics such as advocacy strategy, digitalisation, and payments, the exchange underscored ESBG’s commitment to fostering a competitive, resilient, and sustainable banking sector. Managing Director Peter Simon highlighted ESBG’s efforts in shaping balanced regulation, promoting policies that support progress, and securing a proportionate ESG framework that empowers EU savings banks to grow and compete. By advocating for a well-calibrated regulatory approach, ESBG helps its members navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and continue financing local communities. A valuable dialogue that strengthens our shared mission! 👉 Read more https://lnkd.in/eSNqxPmg