Netherlands Green Finance: new regulations pose challenges & opportunities

11 Feb 2025 . 3 min read

NatWest and Allen & Overy Shearman were delighted to host the second annual Netherlands Green Finance Conference on 30 January 2025, bringing together key market participants to discuss pertinent developments. These discussions were initiated by a plenary discussion with Petra Hielkema (Chairperson of EIOPA) and Brunno Maradei (Head of Responsible Investment at Aegon AM).

The subsequent workshops centred on three critical topics:

1. CSRD: The first wave of reporting under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will substantially enhance the quality and depth of sustainability-related data available to investors. However, due to the required qualitative disclosures for material topics around governance, impacts, opportunities and risks, even experienced companies may at first struggle to allocate the necessary resources and time. But there’s good news: once CSRD reporting has properly taken off, companies will most likely find this easier and more efficient than having to continually respond to bilateral requests from individual investors.

2. Transition plans: Discussing transition plans, it was shared that while defining credible plans has proven challenging, companies should at a minimum include targets, actions, financing and governance approach. However, evaluating transition plans will continue to be difficult for investors as long as the lack of harmonisation on sector-specific pathways persists and as long as differing methodologies continue to be used.

3. Greenwashing: Discussion centred on the complementary nature of the measures taken to tackle greenwashing. These measures include: enhanced transparency, standardised reporting, regulatory oversight, stakeholder engagement, and education and awareness.

Join us next year

Our Netherlands Green Finance Conference series, which launched in 2023, offers a great opportunity for attendees to connect with local sustainable finance experts and gain insights into emerging trends. We are already looking forward to another inspiring exchange next year. If you would like to join us, please register your interest here.

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Netherlands Green Finance: new regulations pose challenges & opportunities

Join us next year

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