Over its history, EFG Hermes has always been a pioneer among its peers, growing from a ground-breaking local Egyptian firm to one of the region’s leading financial services corporations with a current footprint spanning thirteen markets across four continents. As we celebrate our 35th anniversary, we look to the future with optimism, confident in the knowledge that we have established solid foundations for future growth and internalized the skills and know-how necessary to face coming challenges.

Climate change is one such challenge, perhaps the most significant one facing our planet today. It poses severe threats to food security, coastal and rural communities, and economies as a whole.

Many of the Frontier Emerging Markets (FEM) where we do business are particularly vulnerable to the risks such as water scarcity, increased soil salinity, and rising sea levels. Across the region, economic sectors, from agriculture and fishing to tourism and manufacturing, are all being forced to adjust to dwindling resources and harsh new realities. Not to mention the toll on human health and wellbeing.

Investors have become acutely aware of the impact of the climate crisis not only on their investments, but also on their long-term capability to create value. Today, the definition of value itself has changed: financial gain alone is not enough; investments must satisfy environmental, social and governance requirements in order to be considered viable.

At EFG Hermes, we pride ourselves on our commitment to responsible investment as part of our overall goal to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2019, we expanded our focus to more specifically address the climate crisis by issuing a statement on climate change and identifying key areas of engagement across our activities. We also continue to advocate for responsible investment among our stakeholders with the objective of encouraging systemic change towards a more sustainable common future.

As always, I thank you for your continued support and I humbly present you with EFG Hermes’ 2019 Sustainability Report.
Sincerely yours,