Leadership & Capability
Supporting and encouraging stronger leadership from financial institutions to drive progress on sustainable finance.
Leadership is critical to advancing sustainability.
ASFI’s Sustainable Finance Action Plan (2025-27) highlights the importance of supporting leadership and capability uplift across the finance sector to unlock progress towards Australia’s climate, environment and social inclusion ambitions.
Leadership is critical to sharpening organisational focus on sustainability, driving internal buy-in and culture, and facilitating action across the real economy.
Equally, building capabilities across all levels of finance sector professionals is key to ensuring individuals can navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of sustainable finance, understand emerging issues, and build the partnerships that will be needed.
Our Work
In 2023, our annual review of sustainable finance progress indicated less than 1 in 10 (7%) of financial professionals have green skills, lagging other industries critical to achieving global sustainability targets. Australia also has a lower concentration of green talent in the finance sector than countries such as US, Germany, UK & Canada
In more mature professions such as accounting, banking, and investment, complex ecosystems exist to support capability that include:
Universities providing a large range of undergraduate, post-graduate and executive education courses
Industry bodies that run accreditation systems for professionals including ongoing requirements for professional learning
A broad range of providers of courses that can count towards continuing professional development; and
A well-established pathway for people from university or other technical qualifications into the profession.
Given its early stage of development, the sustainable finance profession is yet to establish this sort of ecosystem. ASFI is uniquely placed to accelerate the development of a sustainable finance ecosystem to support capability development and underpin trust in and credibility of sustainable finance as a profession.
ASFI initiatives to strengthen finance sector leadership
-
![great barrier reef]()
Leadership in Practice
An evolution of ASFI’s Leadership Working Groups, the Leadership in Practice program focuses on the capabilities required to lead and implement change within organisations.
-
![]()
Mobilising Private Capital for Sustainability: Tools for Policymakers
This foundational course will equip policy professionals with a fundamental understanding of key levers for creating the conditions for private sector finance and investment in sustainability.
-
![Melbourne Library]()
Australian Sustainable Finance Capability Framework
ASFI has developed a framework to guide institutions to to develop the mindsets, behaviours and skills needed to power the transformation required to deliver sustainable finance commitments and ambitions.
-
![spiral staircase with tree]()
ASFI Learn
ASFI Learn offers educational opportunities for professionals at all proficiency levels, helping to build sustainable finance capability and accelerating the transition to a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive financial system.
Leadership & Capability Research
Recent Insights
Work Programs
-
![parliament house canberra]()
Public Policy
ASFI is actively engaging with the Australian Government on a range of policy areas to support the flow of finance and investment for climate, nature, and social outcomes in Australia.
Leveraging our deep public sector expertise and strong government relationships, ASFI drives and supports policy reform for better climate and sustainability outcomes.
-
![Group of people standing together in a conference room in front of a large screen with the title 'The Interoperability of Australia- China Sustainable Finance Taxonomies', at a seminar or conference.]()
Sustainability Standards and Practice
ASFI’s standards and practice work predominantly supports Australian financial institutions to pilot the Australian Sustainable Finance Taxonomy in practice.
ASFI works in partnership with the Australian Government and members to inform future guidance and uses, and on the international harmonisation of taxonomies.
ASFI is actively promoting Australia's approach to green and transition finance through a range of bilateral and multilateral fora, and as technical and private sector partner to the Australian Government.
-
![]()
Blended Finance
Blended finance, where public investment helps de-risk projects and crowd in private investment, is a key tool for decarbonisation and climate resilience. Effective blended finance structures to accelerate the flow of capital into projects and organisations that deliver sustainable outcomes.
This work program is being undertaken in partnership with Government, in particular the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and the ACCC has granted ASFI formal authorisation to work with institutions and governments on co-designing new blended finance structures.
-
![A large formal event taking place in an elegant auditorium with a stage featuring a speaker at a podium, a large screen displaying a presentation titled 'CEO Welcome' with a photo of a woman, and another screen showing a woman with short hair. The audience is seated at round tables with black tablecloths and red chairs.]()
Leadership and Capability
ASFI is committed to embedding sustainability into leadership and practice across the financial services landscape, and is actively working to unlock financial institution skills, leadership, and ambition on sustainable finance.
Leadership is critical to sharpening organisational focus on sustainability, driving internal buy-in and culture, and facilitating action across the real economy. ASFI works in partnership with the Australian Government, members and others to deliver targeted courses, mentor programs, working groups, member delegations and a Capability Framework.
-
![Two men sitting on stage chairs, holding microphones, engaging in a conversation. The man on the left has long curly hair, a patterned shirt, and dark jeans. The man on the right is wearing a gray blazer, dark jeans, a wide-brimmed hat decorated with colorful details, and is sitting with his legs crossed. They are surrounded by green plants and foliage backdrop, with a speaker on the floor nearby.]()
First Nations and Finance
ASFI is positioned to act as a partner to First Nations-led businesses, Peaks, projects, Nations and communities, as lasting impact depends on First Nations leadership being centred and supported, not substituted.
This approach embeds First Nations rights in financial decision-making; increases access to finance and support for First Nations communities and businesses; elevates First Nations perspectives and priorities across Australia’s financial system; and ensures more First Nations peoples in Australia benefit from economic self-determination.
