Launched in Dubai in 2023 by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and the MENA FinTech Association (MFTA), the Sustainable Fintech Pledge brings together the financial technology ecosystem around a shared commitment to embed sustainability into the way financial innovation is designed, built, and delivered.
The initiative was launched in the presence of H.E. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Nameer Khan, Chairman of the MENA FinTech Association, marking a significant step in connecting the region's fintech community with the UAE's broader sustainability and Net Zero by 2050 ambitions.
The Pledge calls on fintech companies and financial institutions to move beyond intention, and make sustainability part of how they operate, innovate, and create value.
Signatories commit to five core principles that place sustainability at the centre of financial innovation.
Integrate sustainability principles into business operations, strategies, and organisational culture.
Build credible commitments supported by transparency, accountability, and measurable progress.
Use fintech's reach and influence to encourage sustainable practices across industries and communities.
Harness financial technology to develop solutions that help address environmental and climate challenges.
Encourage the development and adoption of fintech products and services that enable sustainable economic growth.
The Sustainable Fintech Pledge forms part of MFTA's broader Sustainable Fintech Alliance, created to help fintech companies translate sustainability commitments into meaningful action.
The Alliance follows a three-stage approach:
Equipping fintech leaders with the knowledge, expertise, and global best practices required to develop credible sustainability strategies.
Supporting organisations in establishing sustainability and climate-related goals aligned with their values, stakeholders, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Encouraging transparency, measurement, and continuous improvement so commitments translate into measurable progress.
The Pledge brought together leading institutions from across the financial ecosystem, including:
Technology has the ability to reshape financial systems at scale.
The Sustainable Fintech Pledge calls on the fintech community to use that ability responsibly, embedding sustainability into the products they build, the businesses they operate, and the future they help create.
MFTA is committed to working with fintechs, financial institutions, regulators, policymakers, and knowledge partners to turn that ambition into action and build a more resilient and sustainable financial future for MENA.
