‘Transformation takes time’ – Deborah Webster weighs in on sustainable finance and ESG

On the eve of a conference organised by FinanceMalta on the topic of sustainable finance to be held next week, Deborah Webster, creator of AMANI™️ – a decision-making framework and holistic approach to Environmental, Social and corporate Governance (ESG) – as well as co-founder and CEO of AMANIcircle, sheds light on the significance of tackling this subject at this particular junction for Malta.

Ms Webster, who will be moderating the panel session, says that sustainable finance and ESG have been on the horizon of becoming the new standard for some time.

“As we emerge from the devastation caused by COVID-19, it’s great to see the EU commit to building more sustainable economies and tackling issues like climate change head on,” she asserts.

“The pragmatist in me knows transformation takes time and it’s not as easy as waving a magic wand and we become sustainable overnight. There are many complexities we need to figure out and navigate TOGETHER – and we must find solutions.”

Describing sustainable finance as “one of the most pressing discussions that needs to take place”, and which requires the commitment of all stakeholders, Ms Webster, who is also a contributor to MaltaCEOs.mt, says that the FinanceMalta conference couldn’t come at a better time.

“We’ll be frank about the opportunities, the challenges and what we need to overcome them,” she concluded.