Commerzbank AG

A long-term philosophy is embedded at the very heart of Commerzbank’s operations. As such, we have become increasingly engaged with the topic of sustainability generally, and sustainable trade in particular. As a leading bank in export financing we believe that taking sustainable trade seriously is vital, not only to remain competitive in the banking industry, but also because some resources are now becoming scarce and inaction could put trade at risk in future.

For a long time we have been working with our partners to finance the trade of products and services in the fields of clean energy and clean technology. Further, in all of the trade-related transactions in which we are involved, we include high standards of sustainability among our lending criteria.

The financial sector can play a leading role in the transformation towards a more sustainable trade. That is why we partnered with Oxford Analytica – a global analysis and advisory firm – to draw up a two-part report on sustainable trade. This report will contribute to a new, higher level of discussion among policymakers, businesses, NGOs and consumers about sustainable trade.

The first part of the report (PDF, 1.8 MB) deals with the rising importance of sustainability and introduces the five key drivers which will shape the future of sustainable trade: regulation (1), new patterns of global demand (2), supply chain trends (3), alliances, standards and labels (4) and innovative finance and the role of banks (5).

Drawing upon expert opinion and case studies, the second part (PDF, 960 kB) shows scenarios for the future of sustainable trade and offers a projection for sustainability in the global economy for the coming decades.