Australia and New Zealand Banking Group appointed a new international head of sustainable finance, as demand for ESG-related funding continues to grow especially in Asia.
Stella Saris was appointed to the Singapore-based role reporting to Nick Halkas, head of infrastructure, export and sustainable finance – international in the city-state; and to Katherine Tapley, head of sustainable finance in Sydney.
Saris was most recently a director of resources, energy and infrastructure at the ANZ, where she first joined in 2004. Saris boasts a wealth experience in private-public partnerships in the Asia Pacific region including in Australia, Singapore, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea in both advisory and lending capacity.
Sustainable finance continues to grow as investors build greater awareness about ESG-related risks, such as climate change. According to global ESG research firm Sustainalytics, social and sustainability bond issuances totaled nearly $59 billion in 2018, highlighting Asia as a growth driver for social assets due to greater flexibility for decision making amongst treasurers in the region.