Alors que le monde financier s'écroulait comme un château de cartes au deuxième semestre de l'an dernier, la Banque Triodos tenait résolument bon. Mieux: elle enregistrait une croissance de 25%, avec un bond en fin d'année. "Les gens veulent une banque qui agit de façon sensée avec leur argent et ont bien compris que la Banque Triodos est une telle banque" déclare Peter Blom, directeur général de la Banque Triodos.

The incapacity to finance sustainable development through philanthropic official assistance turned the Johannesburg Summit to business world and the financial industry. Pioneering financial institutions - including development banks and private banks - have developed a wide range of innovations that can support sustainable development. This article highlights a few innovative products and markets and focuses on the progress made by financial players on the level of standards, metrics and guidelines to improve sustainability management systems, reporting and accounting practices and the multi-stakeholder dynamic. The role of the socially responsible investing (SRI) community has been underexposed by the Summit. Through its voice and market success, SRI has moved from a green market niche to the mainstream, however not becoming mainstream. The invaluable levering effect of SRI has just been discovered by authorities and market regulators and is becoming instrumental. In order to show the business case of Corporate Social Responsibility and to prove the financial viability of the People, Planet, Prosperity investing approach, the SRI community should critically reflect on its own quality assurance systems, sound disclosure and verification practice

Ce dossier fait le point sur l'implication des entreprises d'économie sociale en matière de développement durable: réalisations concrètes, atouts et obstacles auxquels elles sont confrontées.