About Us

Fair Finance Asia is a regional network of Asian CSOs committed to ensuring that financial institutions' funding decisions in the region respect the social and environmental well-being of local communities.

In doing so, we see a role for banks to actively contribute towards reversing social injustice and environmental destruction, as well as for financial regulators and supervisors to play a critical role in making banks move swiftly in a sustainable direction. Moreover, FFA calls for a stronger cross-border sustainable finance policy coordination in Asia that is consultative, inclusive, and multi-stakeholder which includes CSOs that represent the voices of communities.

Goals

How We Work

Regionally

FFA monitors the cross-border financial flows between countries as well as the impacts of these investments. FFA represents the collective voice of its national coalitions at regional and international dialogues on sustainable finance.

Nationally

Our coalitions assess and monitor the lending and investment policies and practices of financial institutions as well as lead national financial sector advocacy for sustainable finance.

Collaboratively

FFA calls for a stronger cross-border sustainable finance policy coordination in Asia that is consultative, inclusive, and multi-stakeholder which includes CSOs that represent the voices of communities.

Our Network

Fair Finance Asia (FFA) works with Asian civil society organizations coalitions in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, and presently has a network of over 90 allied organizations that come from diverse backgrounds and expertise on sustainability themes and financial sector advocacy. Our coalitions lead national financial sector influencing and advocacy initiatives that are amplified and coordinated at the FFA regional level.

FFA as a part of Fair Finance International

The FFA program is a part of the Fair Finance International (FFI), which operates in 7 other countries globally namely Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa and Sweden, apart from the eight FFA countries. FFI’s assessment reports on the policy and practices of national financial institutions form part of FFA’s influencing and engagement toolkit in promoting sustainable finance and responsible investments.

Through our cross-collaboration we support sustainable financing initiatives and knowledge sharing, and strengthen the evidence base in cases of harmful investments to better hold financial institutions to account. By connecting these diverse national, regional and global perspectives the Fair Finance network as a whole can advise on and advocate for meaningful changes to financing systems, with positive results for citizens and communities.

Context

In Asia, banks play a significant role in the economy, funding many projects, sectors, governments, and micro, small and large companies. Their funding and decision making, therefore, greatly impact what is being funded and how that funding affects not just economic recovery and growth, but also climate change, environmental degradation, respect for human rights, social well-being and even political stability.

Over the last decades, there have been many reforms in favor of a market-based financial sector with regulatory requirements to safeguard their stability. However, Asian banks have generally had no binding obligations to prevent negative consequences for workers, communities, customers and citizens as well as environmental degradation and climate change.

With COVID-19 triggering unprecedented economic and societal crises in 2020, whatever hard won progress gained has been set back, and inequality, social unrest, and environmental degradation in the region continue to rise.

Not only will this situation increasingly burden governments’ budgets in Asia, the economic downturn is also foreseen to challenge banks’ existing loan portfolios, with prolonged consequences.

Country Partners

Cambodia

India

Indonesia

Japan

Pakistan

Philippines

Thailand

Vietnam

Careers with Fair Finance Asia

Fair Finance Asia (FFA) is a network of civil society organizations that aims to reduce inequality and environmental destruction by ensuring that financial institutions operating in the region are transparent and accountable to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria in their business activities and investment decisions.