Sustainability is broader than climate change. It is about building a society where upcoming generations can thrive. Today, the world is at a crucial juncture where sustainable decisions with long-term benefits are the need of the hour. The global movement toward building an agile, resilient economy has gathered pace. The financial services sector and worldwide regulators play a vital role in enabling a buoyant society by leveraging innovations and regulations in sustainable finance.

Every year, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, otherwise known as the Conference of Parties (COP), gathers to deliberate solutions to climate change risks and access progress. Sitting at the heart of the hydrocarbon industry, the UAE has been elected to host COP28 in 2023. The nation’s investments in energy diversification and its highest level of climate ambition have resulted in the opportunity to accelerate economic growth, job creation, gender equality, and youth empowerment. The UAE has always encouraged financial ecosystems driven by technological advancements blended with climate-smart solutions. As a burgeoning fintech hub, the UAE is set to spearhead the quest for sustainability.

UAE’s commitment to sustainable finance

As a global financial center, the United Arab Emirates acknowledges the role of sustainable finance in achieving economic growth, climatic goals, and energy diversification objectives. Subsequently, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) launched the UAE Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) in 2019. The stakeholders include the UAE ministries, regulatory authorities, and other government bodies responsible for developing ecologically sustainable finance policies. In November 2021, the SFWG released a public statement of its commitment to sustainability objectives by adhering to the Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative and establishing sustainable finance policies.

Sustainable finance is a cornerstone in empowering the UAE and broader stakeholders to attain net-zero emissions targets. The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) in Abu Dhabi are leading the way in accelerating the expansion of sustainable finance in the UAE. They are set to foster a thriving ecosystem for sustainable finance by enabling private capital investments. This is expected to improve the financial system’s stability, boost transparency, and achieve long-term sustainable development benefits.

Sustainable fintech alliance

The MENA Fintech Association (MFTA), the leading voice and nexus of the Fintech community in the region, launched the Sustainable Fintech Alliance to foster MENA Fintechs in becoming leaders of sustainable approaches. MFTA aspires to help its members embrace and integrate sustainability as part of their organizations’ culture and values and create positive impacts in the wake of the increasingly acute environmental and social challenges.

M2P is one of the founding partners of MFTA alongside Mastercard, Checkout.com, Codebase Technologies, YAP, Marshal, BPC, Taptap Send, and GPS. The partners are in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and The London Institute of Banking and Finance MENA (LIBF). Together, the Alliance believes in harnessing the technological revolution and innovation to redesign financial services to reinforce sustainability.

Sustainability framework

Sustainable finance is considered a strategy to facilitate projects that mitigate and manage threats associated with the broad range of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks.

Against this backdrop, the DIFC devised a general Sustainability Framework to address existing gaps and challenges related to mainstream sustainable finance practices. It also seeks to augment the demand and supply of sustainable finance products and low-carbon, climate-resilient investment projects.

The four strategic pillars underpinning the framework are Social, Environmental, Governance, and Government Alignment. The framework is designed to scale up the development of a business environment for diversified and innovative sustainable finance products. Another strategic intent of the framework is to empower the mobilization of private capital towards environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient investments.

M2P’s allegiance to sustainability

As an earnest member of the MFTA, M2P is committed to implementing credible and transparent sustainability initiatives across global operations. Our team is constantly striving to innovate programs that are commensurate with the local culture, tradition, and governmental policies. We believe this will help us embrace the finesse of the Sustainability Framework and positively contribute toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Net Zero pledges.

To mark our first step on the road to sustainability, we launched the “Better Half Program”, exclusive to our Indian offices. This program extends a hand to women who aspire to resume their careers after a break.

Better-Half Program, a positive social impact

We at M2P believe in creating a positive social impact by giving a chance to women looking to return to the workforce after a break. The break could be for any reason. We respect their choices and feel they deserve the opportunity to develop their careers.

Recognizing the unique challenges women in India face after taking a career break, we launched the “Better Half Program.”- a formal employment program that helps women restart their careers and ease into professional life, starting with half a day’s work duration.

Helping women hone their skills and be prepared for ‘Better’ career prospects and ‘Half’ a day of work is the rationale behind naming the program ‘Better-Half’. The better-half program facilitates a smooth re-entry to a full-time job through a gradual ramp-up of work hours.

M2P is the world’s first company to make half-a-day work mainstream with benefits.

Better-Half is a carefully curated program to restart one’s professional journey. Those selected are expected to contribute 5 hours in a day, making us the first company to make half-a-day work mainstream. The program is packed with all benefits that accrue to a person seeking full-time employment, including formal upskilling and participation in ESOPs.

In addition, the program offers access to on-the-job projects, learning opportunities, and the possibility to work in a multi-disciplinary team. It extends community support, and those selected are mentored by experienced managers culminating in a chance to convert into a full-time role at the end of 12 months or whenever the participant decides to convert.

Fusing sustainability into fin and tech

With over 1000 M2Peers globally, we aim to drive sustainable value through our digital products and effective ESG practices. Our vision and persistent efforts have enabled our customers to make headway toward a cashless ecosystem that fosters a financially inclusive society. We believe in investing transparent and consistent effort towards positive climate change, people advocacy, gender equality, racial diversity, and much more.

Want more insights into our sustainability efforts? Write to us at business@m2pfintech.com

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