The international community will only be able to achieve this goal of two degrees if every part of society plays their part. There are significant challenges for the financial sector, too, and financial regulators and supervisors need to be involved in addressing these. The new issue of BaFinPerspectives therefore focuses on sustainability. Its publication date is 9 May 2019, the exact day of BaFin’s conference on sustainable finance. Both the publication and the conference address the question of how the opportunities and risks surrounding sustainability are dealt with by companies, regulators and supervisors.

Dr Levin Holle, Director General for Financial Market Policy at the Federal Ministry of Finance, sets out the plans of the European legislature in this field. An interview with Sven Giegold MEP (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) complements this with a European perspective, giving an insight into the European Parliament’s take on the topic. BaFin’s Frank Pierschel provides a rundown of the initiatives at a global level. Articles from Elisabeth Roegele, Dr Frank Grund and Raimund Röseler, all members of BaFin’s Executive Board, offer the chance for a closer look at BaFin’s views with regard to sustainability in various financial sectors. Dr Christian Thimann, CEO of Athora Deutschland Holding, explains his thoughts on the opportunities and risks of sustainability. Silke Stremlau, Member of the Board at Hannoversche Kassen, discusses attitude, regulation and lateral thinking in the financial market. In an interview with Professor Harald Lesch of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, the science journalist and television presenter gives his views on what can still be done to stop climate change.

We hope you enjoy reading it.

Felix Hufeld

President of BaFin