Global Climate Finance 2024 Conference Highlights

The 2024 Wits Global Climate Finance Conference, held at the Wits Fintech Hub from November 28th to 29th at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, brought together thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers under the theme "Shaping Sustainable Finance for a Greener World." This international gathering served as a vital forum for exploring the intersection of finance and environmental sustainability, with participants ranging from scholars and researchers to policymakers and financial professionals.

With a focus on advancing climate finance, the conference delved into a wide array of pressing issues, including the role of green finance, renewable energy investments, climate-resilient infrastructure, and the financial tools needed to combat climate change. Highlights of the event included forward-thinking discussions on carbon markets, impact investing, and the integration of innovative technologies such as fintech into the climate finance landscape.

The event underscored the critical role of financial strategies in building a sustainable future and addressed the need for global collaboration to tackle the environmental challenges ahead. By fostering these essential conversations, the conference aimed to pave the way for actionable solutions and inspire further progress in climate finance. We look forward to continuing these conversations in the years to come. Discover more about the conference experience below.

Panel Members:

Sarah McPhail, Lead Policy Analyst, Sustainable Finance, South African Reserve Bank
Oscar Stark, Divisional Director at Liberty: Driving Digital Transformation
Prof. Darko Vukovic, Fudan University, & Research Centre for Market Efficiency and Applied Finance, GSOM
Prof. Henry Penikas, Research and Forecasting Department, Central Bank of Russia

Participants From 4 Continents Representing Over 16 Countries

Andreyev, M., & Nelyubina, A. (2024). Energy Transition Scenarios in Russia: Effects in Macroeconomic General Equilibrium Model with Rational Expectations. 122.

Burova, A., Koshelev, D., & Makhankova, N. (2024). Consolidated DSR, Revenue Shock and the Correlation with Environmental Ratings: Evidence Based on Consolidated Statements of Russian Companies.

Chipetekure, O., & Seetharam, Y. (2022). Are Climate Risks Priced by Environmentally Sustainable Rated Share Portfolios? ProQuest. 31801512.

Cojoianu, T. F., Hoepner, A. G. F., Paliampelou, I., Vuf, A., & Wójcik, D. (2024). Global Standards and Local Ambitions across Green Taxonomies: Climate Change Mitigation from the European Union to South Africa. SSRN, 1(1), p. 542.

Cele, A., & Kisanya, I. (2024). A Study on the Performance of REIT’s and Gold: Pre and Post COVID Era.

Dzingirai, C., Chekenya, N. S., & Manzote, E. (2024). Floods and Trade Flows: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dzingirai, M. (2024). Investigation of Donor Climate Finance in Zimbabwe: Opportunities and Challenges.

Letsela, K., & Mlambo, F. (2024). Geographically Weighted Statistical Machine Learning Methods for Predicting Net Primary Productivity in the Eastern Sahel Region.

Makumbe, H. (2024). Climate Risk and the Dynamic Spillovers between Oil Prices and Food Prices: A GARCH-MIDAS Approach.

Maredza, A. (2024). Financing Climate Change Amid Deteriorating Fiscal Space in Africa: Implications for the State, Private Sector, and Financial Institutions.

Mhlambi, L. L. (2024). Unveiling the Greenium: Exploring Its Existence and Drivers in the South African Bond Market.

Mpofu, F. Y. (2024). The Dual Dividend Dilemma of Environmental Taxes: Broadening Domestic Revenue Mobilisation and Promoting Environmental Sustainability in Zimbabwe.

Munguti, G. M. (2024). Exploring the Legal Framework of Public-Private Partnerships for Climate Action in Sub-Saharan African Sub-nationals: A Case Study of Kenyan SEKEB (Machakos and Kitui) Counties.

Naidu, D. (2024). Impact of ESG Disclosure on Credit Risk: Evidence from South Africa.

Özer, M., Frömmel, M., Vukovic, D., & Kami?li, M. (2024). Permanent and Transitory Volatility Spillovers between Conventional and Islamic Stock Indices During SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

Paul, S. N., Chacko, A. M., Bhattacharjee, B. (2024). Forecasting of Crude Oil Prices Using Multi-Feed Data: A Multi-Stage Data Science Workflow Approach.

Penikas, H. (2023). Default Correlation Impact on the Loan Portfolio Credit Risk Measurement for the “Green” Finance as an Example. 121.

Popova, S., & Turdyeva, N. (2024). Green Indifference: Russian Banks’ Treatment of Environmental Factors in Corporate Loan Pricing.

Reentovich, A. (2024). Uncertain Technological Change, Bayesian Learning and the Green Paradox. 133.

Turdyeva, N. (2024). Russian Economic Transformation: Navigating Climate Policy and Trade Restrictions.

Zenda, M., Rudolph, M., & Harley, C. (2024). The Impact of Climate Variability on the Livelihoods of Small-holder Farmers in an Agricultural Village in the Wider Belfast Area, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. 15(11), 1353.

Below are videos and images that encapsulates event’s highlights and proceedings.

Day 1 - Part 1

Day 1 - Part 2

Climate Finance Conference Gallery

This dynamic event brought together industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers to explore AI, blockchain, and the future of fintech. The gallery captures key moments, creating insightful discussions, and groundbreaking innovations.

View Here