Request for proposals for UNEP FI Risk Centre - Sustainability Risk Integration into Risk Management Practices. implementation start date : 1 November, 2025 Implementation end date : 31 August, 2026 Submission deadline : 1 October, 2025 Notification date : 22 October, 2025 Project objective : To strengthen the integration of climate, nature, and social risks, into the risk management practices of the global banking sector, the UNEP FI Risk Centre is inviting project proposals. Despite growing recognition of their importance, effectively incorporating sustainability risks into banks risk frameworks remains challenging. As part of its 2025/26 programme, the Risk Centre will conduct a 12-month research group focused on exploring key components needed to strengthen this integration. This expression of interest seeks to identify a technical partner to collaborate as an equal partner in designing and delivering the research group. About UNEP FI Risk Centre: In 2024, UNEP FI launched its Risk Centre. The Risk Centre provides a resource tailored especially for risk managers, integrating all UNEP FIs climate and nature risk-related work programmes, tools, and peer learning opportunities for assessing and managing climate and nature risks. The Risk Centre also aims to cover other sustainability risks, such as pollution and social risks, fostering a holistic approach to sustainability. It consists of a technical programme facilitated by working groups with the aim of producing decision-useful resources for the finance sector, such as cutting-edge tools, guidance, and methodologies. Project background : This project aims to advance the integration of sustainability risks into banks risk management practices, with a focus on: Climate risks: While banks have made progress in integrating climate risks, challenges remain, particularly related to modelling limitations and data availability. Nature and social risks: Banks are beginning to assess risks beyond climate, but modelling approaches for nature and social risks are still lacking. This expression of interest invites project proposals that support improved identification, measurement, and management of these risk types. In particular, we welcome proposals addressing the following areas: Risk Appetite Setting: Develop a practical approach that banks can use to set risk appetites for sustainability risks, including: Considerations for using climate risk models to inform climate risk appetites, highlighting their strengths, limitations, and feasibility. This can explore key risk drivers, required data, and relevant metrics for both transition and physical risks. Approaches for integrating nature and social risks into risk appetite frameworks, including how banks might enhance their approaches as more modelling and data becomes available. The final output will provide a framework and practical guidance on setting sustainability risk appetites. Sustainability risk scorecards: Identify key environmental and social risk factors used by banks as part of their risk scoring for borrowers, and propose standardised approaches for developing sector-specific sustainability risk scorecards. The final output will include sector-specific scorecard templates outlining relevant sustainability risk factors that can be applied across institutions. This Expression of Interest is for a partnership with UNEP FI, where both parties will be expected to contribute their own resources, networks, and expertise. Through this partnership, the applicant and UNEP FI will produce a co-branded output. Project description : The selected partner will be expected to: - Contribute technical expertise and support the design and scoping of the project. - Co-lead activities alongside the UNEP FI team and participating banks, facilitating discussions and knowledge sharing to gather the insights needed to achieve the projects objectives. - Collaboratively co-author, develop, and publish the final output. Project requirements : The submitting entity should demonstrate strong technical expertise on the topic, showing that it is a focus area for the applying team and that the team has relevant, proven experience. Proposals should be submitted in accordance with the application template provided below. Tender Link : https://www.unep.org/calls-for-proposals
