PwC Channel Islands were honoured to receive this award for the second year running.

Our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We are deeply aware of the responsibility Jersey’s financial services industry has as a conduit of capital for financing global sustainable development, and we are proud of how we are making an impact on sustainable finance.

In support, this year we have continued to strengthen our market-leading Channel Islands Sustainability Advisory and Assurance practice, which is now a team of 10, led from Jersey.

Alongside our success to date providing sustainability strategy, integration, reporting and assurance services to Jersey’s finance sector, we help the PwC network service global asset and wealth management clients, and support network-wide technical hubs on key themes such as the “big 3” sustainable finance disclosure regimes across the EU, UK and US, finance for nature, and climate resilience. Our local Sustainability leadership team recently spent a week at PwC’s global Sustainability Specialists Forum. This all helps accelerate our own learning and brings knowledge and tools back to the Jersey market.

We work to integrate sustainability and net zero into all our wider advisory and audit work wherever possible, this year including a specific challenge question at all client engagement approval panels across the business to ensure “sustainability built-in”. As the largest auditor of Jersey serviced funds, we challenge our clients on their management of climate risk and the implications for their financial statements.

We have delivered several local industry upskilling events this year, for the real estate investment sector, the funds industry, the non-executive director community and the accounting profession. We also regularly promote the jurisdiction’s advantages in internationally published articles on Jersey for SFDR funds.

We support clients to identify and assure key performance indicators for sustainability linked loans, helping to lower the cost of capital. This year we have also started working around social needs, impact assessment and social value, helping Jersey’s third sector. In doing so, we are building key skills in social and environmental impact investment assessment and evaluation, as well as helping support the local third sector to better articulate its impact.

This year we have also worked with the Government on Jersey’s own sustainable economy transition, on topics ranging from renewable energy or the outlook for the construction sector, through to financing net zero on island. We continue our programme of practical research and insights for the island. We updated our CI Green Jobs Barometer this year and our new CI Hopes and Fears survey shows Jersey workers want more climate action from their employers. We co-founded the Jersey Association of Sustainability Practitioners to strengthen industry voice and support the next generation.

These Awards are a fantastic way to showcase the islands’ sustainable finance capabilities, recognising the industry’s hard work and results to date, and we hope they inspire further action and collaboration at both local and global scales. We are proud to be involved and look forward to some healthy competition next year!