In this public lecture, former World Bank Group CFO Bertrand Badré discussed his new book Can Finance Save the World? with former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and journalist Sabine Syfuss-Arnaud, World Editor of Challenges. Prof Iain Begg, Co-Director of the Dahrendorf Forum, chaired the event.
The speakers discussed the need for a new and innovative approach to finance to meet the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals. They covered the improvements made since the 2008 Financial Crisis, the remaining weaknesses of the financial system, and innovative instruments which could help to reallocate capital from traditional to sustainable investments, such as Green Bonds and Social Impact Bonds. The speakers concluded that finance can save the world, if governments and investors are committed to building a sustainable and fair financial system.
- Bertrand Badré (@BertrandBadre) is former Managing Director and CFO of the World Bank Group.
- Gordon Brown (@OfficeGSBrown) is the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He served as Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010 and as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1997 to 2007, making him the longest-serving Chancellor in modern history.
- Sabine Syfuss-Arnaud (@SSyfussArnaud) is the World Editor of Challenges, a leading business weekly in France. She has been working as a journalist for the past 20 years, focusing on European and international affairs. She began her career at the United Nations working as a press officer alternatively in New York and in Geneva.