Defense financing and sustainable development: can they be reconciled? | POLSIF Talks #46

In this episode of POLSIF Talks, Marta Noran (Member of the POLSIF Management Board) and Piotr Kowalik (POLSIF member) discuss the new report by the POLSIF Working Group on financing the defense sector in line with the principles of sustainable development. The report premiered on September 17 at the POLSIF Forum. Nearly 30 experts worked on it, and the result is more than 120 pages of analysis, examples and practical guidance.

The speakers debunk the popular myth that ESG regulations block defense financing. They show how banks in Western Europe use sustainability-linked loans (SLL) and green financing in this sector. They also talk about the biggest challenges: the EU Taxonomy, the classified nature of data, complex supply chains and responsibility for the end use of products. Finally, they present recommendations for three audiences - the defense sector, banks and the public sector - and stress that sustainable development is part of national resilience.

If you want to learn how to finance defense responsibly and in line with the principles of sustainable development, listen to the full conversation and read the report on the POLSIF website.