IAIA Takes the Stage at OECD Financial Practitioners Workshop
A message from IAIA CEO Gary Baker
We are excited to share a significant step forward in our strategy to expand IAIA’s participation in important global forums. I recently had the opportunity to represent our association at a two-day workshop hosted by the OECD in Paris, specifically designed for Environmental & Social (E&S) practitioners within the financial sector.
Bridging the Gap in Global Finance
The workshop’s primary goal was to harmonize due diligence and monitoring techniques while promoting globally consistent approaches to EHS impacts. It served as an opportunity for:
- Sharing Experiences: Navigating the complexities of international standards.
- Enhancing Practices: Improving the application of rigorous E&S criteria.
- Consistency: Aligning the “alphabet soup” of international standards into actionable workflows.
Why This Matters for IAIA
With 240 practitioners in attendance—representing Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), Equator Principles Financial Institutions (EPFIs), commercial banks, major development institutions, and consultancies—this was a premier venue to showcase our work.
Key Impact: This engagement allowed us to put IAIA’s training products and expertise directly in front of influential financial stakeholders. It directly supports our ongoing strategy to diversify our partnerships and embed impact assessment excellence into global investment.
In addition to plenary sessions providing updates from EBRD, IFC, Equator Principles, and OECD, dedicated sessions were held on:
- E&S regulatory frameworks
- Sustainability reporting and disclosure
- Deep sea mining
- Impact measurement and management (where IAIA featured)
- Capacity building and monitoring
- Hydropower Sustainability Standard
- Human rights regulations in Asia-Pacific
- Principles for sustainable trade finance
- Sovereign transactions
- Why good practitioners make bad decisions
- Fragile and conflict zones
- Managing post-financial project changes
- Nature and biodiversity
- Enhancing engagement between front office staff and practitioners in ESDD processes
- Case study: New Manila International Airport
