KUALA LUMPUR – Chartered bankers play a key role in their respective financial institutions to support Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) initiatives to strengthen the sector’s capacity in managing climate-related risks and build greater sustainability.
These include embedding climate-related analysis in core capabilities, such as investment portfolios, credit analysis, capital adequacy, development of new investment products and services, risk management, and business continuity management.
According to BNM, as of November 2019, 11.7% of the assets held by financial players in Malaysia are in sectors potentially exposed to climate change.
“We are seeing banks stepping up their efforts, developing new analytical tools and approaches to integrate climate risk management within their institutions,” said Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB) chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim.
“Chartered bankers can play a key role to drive these initiatives, which will strengthen the resilience of banks and complement the country’s sustainable development goals.”
He said banks should remain committed to the broader set of environmental, social and governance agendas, and where necessary, initiate additional initiatives.
“As such, capacity-building remains essential to developing professional bankers with the right mindset, skills and competency that will further cultivate a strong ethical culture and support the sustainability agenda.”
AICB chief executive Edward Ling said: “Anchored on a strong foundation of ethics and professionalism, the globally recognised Chartered Banker programme, which equips bankers with extensive knowledge and the professional requirements pertaining to banking, empowers them to form sound judgment and make good decisions to ensure the sector’s successful transition to a responsible and sustainable industry.”
Azman and Ling were addressing AICB’s 4th Chartered Banker Conferment Ceremony, held virtually, where the institution conferred the chartered banker status on 276 bankers.
The Chartered Banker programme is awarded jointly with the Chartered Banker Institute in the United Kingdom, the only institution in the world that can award the status.
AICB now has a total of 511 chartered bankers, a 49.6% increase from 2019.
In addition, there are more than 900 bankers at various stages of progression in the programme. – Bernama, October 2, 2021
