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    Nachhaltigkeit verbindet - Sustainability Connects

    KfW maintains a Sustainability Advisory Board entitled "Nachhaltigkeit verbindet” (“Sustainability Connects") composed of external experts.

    The Advisory Board is an instrument at KfW Group level that brings together a consistent group of external experts from fields such as academia/science, civil society, and business to exchange views on aligning KfW's activities in the areas of sustainability and sustainable finance. The Advisory Board acts as a continuous, independent advisory body and is not subject to any substantive or technical instructions from KfW in its work.

    Members are invited by KfW. Membership is honorary, and members represent their personal positions in their work. The current CEO of KfW acts as the patron of the Advisory Board, and the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) of KfW chairs the meetings.

    The main objectives of the Advisory Board are:

    • The Advisory Board develops proposals aimed at improving KfW’s sustainability-related offerings and strategic direction and provides impulses for sustainable development, transformation, and sustainable finance at the Group level.
    • The Advisory Board is an independent body that especially brings together perspectives from academia, civil society, and business, fostering mutual exchange and knowledge gain.
    • The Advisory Board serves as a critical corrective to KfW's actions.

    A central component of the Advisory Board’s work are regularly held non-public board meetings.The Advisory Board consolidates previous exchange formats and is integrated into the existing sustainability governance of the KfW Group. This includes close exchange with internal formats such as the Sustainable Finance Committee (SFC) and the Network Sustainable Finance (NSF).