Scotland to host historic dialogue between global leaders in ethical finance

Middle East Global Advisors, a financial intelligence platform spearheading the agenda of sustainable and inclusive finance, announced that it will convene the second edition of the much-coveted Global Ethical Finance Forum (GEFF) on 13-14 September in Edinburgh, Scotland. Based on a strategic partnership with Islamic Finance Council UK (UKIFC), the Forum will be held under the patronage of the Scottish Government, and will be hosted by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), building upon the legacy of the inaugural Forum held in September 2015. Ehsan Abbas, chairman of Middle East Global Advisors, said: “Upon its inception, the vision ascribed to GEFF was to serve as a catalyst to unlock new opportunities for growth, provide unique solutions for key issues and chart the roadmap for the ethical finance industry.” Reflecting on the two years since the ground breaking forum was launched, Abbas said, “GEFF 2017 will take stock of developments encompassing the responsible finance universe and raise awareness about the moral limits of financial markets which were highlighted during the recent financial crisis. Whilst the core segments of ethical finance banking, SRI, ESG and Islamic finance – share the same values-based approach, they are separated by boundaries of geography, perception and methodology. Converging them onto one platform will strengthen the global value proposition of ethical finance. We look forward to convening GEFF 2017.” Scotland is a fitting destination for hosting the narrative due to its strong heritage in ethical finance that includes the creation of financial institutions dating back to the development of savings banks by Rev. Henry Duncan. Since GEFF 2015, Scotland has forged ahead as a leader in ethical finance with: Glasgow-based UKIFC winning the Ethical Finance Innovation and Challenge Award in the UAE; a government-backed Ethical Finance Hub being established; the world’s first interfaith joint financial services initiative between Muslims and Christians being launched; and Al Rayan Bank opening its first Scottish office. A testament to the scale and impact of the Forum in terms of cultivating exclusive experiences for its attendees, GEFF will once again include an exclusive Civic Reception at Edinburgh Castle, which will be hosted by the Scottish Government.