OREANDA-NEWS. The 4th International Conference "Investments in Sustainable Development. New Conditions for Business Innovation Potential" was held in Moscow. State Corporation 'Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)' acted as the Conference's organizer.

Welcoming addresses to the Conference's participants were given by Russian Deputy Vice Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, Vnesheconombank Deputy Chairman - Member of the Board Mikhai Kopeikin and Detector of the UN Information Center in Moscow Alexandr Gorelik.

Speaking before specialists Mikhail Kopeikin said, "At present, the Bank is taking an active part in preparing a Draft Concept for Developing Russia's Non-Financial Reporting being developed by the Russian Economic Ministry. This Concept is designed to help to increase institutions' responsibility for social and ecological effects of their activities as well as achieve greater transparency and information openness".

He also added that in 2013 Vnesheconombank was the first among financing institutions in the former Soviet Union to join the Financial Initiative of the UN Environment Program (UNEP). Almost at the same time the Bank developed and approved its own Responsible Financing Policy - a document setting forth main goals, principles and lines of practical activity in assisting sustainable development.

This year the Conference was devoted to large-scale changes in sustainable development and corporate social responsibility in Russia and the world. The Conference's agenda included issues of formulating new humankind development goals being developed by the UN in exchange for the current Millennium Development Goals. The Conference's participants gave to priority to examining the role of "green" finances in securing ecological well-being and efficiency of state and market mechanisms for encouraging corporate social responsibility. Experts also discussed Russia's and Russian business' contribution to developing the sustainable development concept.

More than 300 executives of government authorities, representatives of the business community and high-ranking experts participated in the Conference.

The Conference was held with the assistance of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Ey Company, the Financial Initiative of the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the UN Global Compact Network in Russia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and the magazine 'Sustainable Development".