Download report: "Barriers and Opportunities for the Development of Sustainable Investment Products in Poland"

Poland on the verge of a financial revolution. Is the Polish capital market ready for the biggest transformation in decades? 

We present an important report prepared for POLSIF by the Institute of Responsible Finance. The study, under the scientific editorship of Ludwik Kotecki (University of Warsaw, member of the Monetary Policy Council) and Rafał Cieślik (University of Warsaw) is a roadmap, supported by extensive research and interviews, for the financial sector facing crucial choices. 

The publication sheds light on the gap separating us from Western European leaders (such as France or Germany) in implementing SFDR regulations for investors. It shows how to transition from a defensive approach to compliance to an offensive one, so that domestic institutions are not marginalized by foreign competition. 

📊 What will you find in the report?

The report thoroughly diagnoses four fundamental barriers hindering market development: 

• Data Gap: Lack of reliable ESG information from domestic companies forces funds to use expensive, foreign databases, which increases operational costs. 
• Regulatory Uncertainty: Unclear EU regulations and a lack of national guidelines give rise to the phenomenon of so-called green-bleaching – institutions are afraid to label their products as "sustainable" for fear of penalties. 
• Skills gap: Lack of specialized staff in investment funds (TFI) and advisors who could reliably explain the benefits of ESG investments to clients. 
• Government inaction: Lack of a national strategy (Masterplan) that would link climate goals with the capital market. 

💡 Key opportunities and conclusions:

• Transition Finance Model: Poland's real opportunity lies in financing the transition of its economy from 'brown' to 'green'. It is estimated that Poland needs at least 200 billion euros for energy transformation – appropriate legal frameworks will attract this capital. 
• Strategic 'Leapfrogging' to SFDR 2.0: The upcoming reform of EU regulations is an opportunity for Polish companies to get ahead of the competition by early preparation of an offer for Transitionproducts. 
• Recommendations for the market: Concrete proposals for building a public national ESG database, educating advisors, and a proactive role for the supervisory authority (KNF) to build investor confidence. 

“The precise analysis of barriers and opportunities for investments in the transformation of the Polish economy presented in the report, and above all the proposals put forward, provide concrete guidance for government administration, but also for fund managers, on how to leverage the unique opportunity to multiply the capital of Polish investors while genuinely supporting the acceleration of our country's economic development.” – Dr. Habil. Robert Sroka, Vice President of POLSIF.