International Sustainable Finance Centre, z.ú.

The International Sustainable Finance Centre, z.ú. (ISFC) is an independent, apolitical international think tank headquartered in the Czech Republic. Registered as a z.ú. (a Czech registered institute, a non-profit legal form), it was founded in spring 2020 to address a knowledge and capacity gap on sustainable finance topics in Central and Eastern Europe, with the stated intention of expanding its work to Southern Europe and the Western Balkans. Its team combines private and public sector expertise in finance, policy, applied research, and stakeholder engagement. ISFC describes its mission as improving the allocation and use of financial, environmental, and human capital in order to deliver a more resilient and thriving economy. It acts as a catalyst for more sustainable financial decision-making across both the public and private sectors, maintaining a neutral, expertise-based profile and working closely with the private sector to build trust and feedback loops that inform policy and market practice. The organisation focuses its efforts across three thematic areas. The first, 'Systems change and Geostrategic Europe', covers public and private finance for multi-dimensional security, including industrial transformation and its financing, the geopolitics and political economy of climate change and sustainable finance, and shifting trade patterns linked to the transition to low-carbon economic models. The second, 'Finance and investing', involves working with financial institutions, asset managers, and investors to improve investment decision-making and analysis, capital allocation strategies, product design, and ESG integration; its research and hands-on work cover topics from SFDR compliance to ESG scoring methodologies and portfolio-level sustainability integration. The third area, 'Mobilising private finance', engages both private and public sector stakeholders to scale sustainable investment. ISFC positions itself as a bridge between sustainable finance and topics often seen as unrelated to it — security and defence, industrial transformation, energy transition, and clean tech scaling — aiming to 'burst sustainable finance out of its bubble' and disrupt policy and practice groupthink. It fosters interdisciplinary knowledge exchange to improve cross-issue and cross-sectoral networks of trust. The centre also produces public-facing content, including a podcast series called 'The Transition Tapes', hosted by Hugh Wheelan, which features interviews with figures in sustainable finance and related fields, such as Simon Rawson of the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD). Through its research, advisory work, and convening activities, ISFC serves financial institutions, investors, and policymakers seeking to integrate sustainability into strategy and practice.

The International Sustainable Finance Centre, z.ú. (ISFC) was founded in spring 2020. According to its own account, it was established to plug a knowledge and capacity gap on sustainable finance topics in Central and Eastern Europe, with the view to expand to Southern Europe and Western Balkans. The organisation was registered in the Czech Republic in the legal form of a z.ú. (registered institute), a non-profit entity type under Czech law. From its inception, ISFC positioned itself as an independent, apolitical international think tank. Its founding team combined private and public sector expertise in finance, policy, applied research, and stakeholder engagement. The organisation set out to help financial institutions, investors, and policymakers integrate sustainability into strategy and practice, making it less abstract so that institutions can leverage financial, human, and environmental capital for maximum wellbeing and prosperity. ISFC's work evolved around three thematic areas: systems change and geostrategic Europe; finance and investing; and mobilising private finance. Under systems change, it monitors and analyses systems to identify topics or opportunities for targeted interventions with catalytic effects, working on industrial transformation and its financing, the geopolitics and political economy of climate change and sustainable finance, and shifting trade patterns linked to the low-carbon transition. Under finance and investing, it works closely with financial institutions, asset managers, and investors to improve investment decision-making and analysis, capital allocation strategies, product design, and ESG integration, covering topics from SFDR compliance to ESG scoring methodologies and portfolio-level sustainability integration. Under mobilising private finance, it engages private and public sector stakeholders to scale sustainable investment. A distinctive element of ISFC's approach is its effort to bring sustainable finance perspectives into discussions about policies or sectors often seen as unrelated to sustainable finance — security and defence, industrial transformation, energy transition, and clean tech scaling. The organisation describes this as 'bursting sustainable finance out of its bubble' and aims to disrupt policy and practice groupthink and outdated patterns of thinking. It fosters interdisciplinary knowledge exchange to improve cross-issue and cross-sectoral networks of trust. ISFC also maintains a public-facing knowledge and media presence. It produces 'The Transition Tapes', a podcast hosted by Hugh Wheelan, featuring interviews with sustainable finance practitioners and thought leaders. Episode 13, published on 30 June, featured Simon Rawson, Executive Director of the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD), discussing social issues, business resilience, and investment decision-making. The podcast also covers topics such as the social and regulatory pushback on AI and its implications for tech investment. The organisation operates as a small, creative team with international experience and a passion for sustainable finance. It maintains a neutral, expertise-based profile and works closely with the private sector to build trust and feedback loops that allow it to improve policies and market practices. Its stated mission is to improve the allocation and use of financial, environmental, and human capital in order to deliver a more resilient and thriving economy.

• 2020

  ISFC founded in spring 2020 to address sustainable finance knowledge gaps in Central and Eastern Europe.

• Launch of 'The Transition Tapes' podcast hosted by Hugh Wheelan.

• Episode 13 of The Transition Tapes features Simon Rawson of TISFD, published 30 June.

Independent, apolitical international think tank bridging sustainable finance with security, industrial transformation, energy transition, and clean tech scaling.

• The Transition Tapes podcast

  Interview podcast hosted by Hugh Wheelan featuring sustainable finance practitioners and thought leaders.

• Sustainable finance research and policy analysis

  Research on industrial transformation financing, climate geopolitics, trade patterns, SFDR compliance, and ESG scoring.

• Advisory and capacity building

  Hands-on work with financial institutions, asset managers, and investors on ESG integration and capital allocation.

1. 1ISFC - Leveraging finance for positive impactisfc.org
2. 2About — ISFCisfc.org
3. 3Episode 13 | Simon Rawson — ISFCisfc.org
4. 4International Sustainable Finance Centre, z.ú. — Wikidatawikidata.org