Ulrich Volz to Host Fireside Chat on the Future of Central Banking with the Former Governor of ...

25 January 2021

On 3 February 2021, Ulrich Volz, the Director of the SOAS Centre for Sustainable Finance, will host a fireside chat on the major challenges facing central banks with Shamshad Akhtar, the former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, and Fernanda Nechio, the Deputy Governor for International Affairs and Corporate Risk Management at Banco Central do Brasil.

Since the Global Financial Crisis, central banks’ roles and repertoire have changed significantly. During the current pandemic, central banks are once again playing a vital role in stabilising our economies and financial systems. Over the last year, central banks have intervened on an unprecedented scale to avert a full-scale financial and economic meltdown. This calls for a wider debate on the role of central banks in times of economic and financial instability, growing inequality and an escalating climate crisis.

Central banks have powerful tools at their disposal. Should they throw their full weight behind fighting climate change and supporting a just transition? Going forward, how can central banks best fulfil their traditional core mandates for macro-financial stability while supporting sustainable development? And what are the implications of the growing digital transformation of finance?

This fireside chat kicks off a conference on “Next Generation Central Banking – Climate Change, Inequality, Financial Instability” which is taking place online from 3 to 5 February 2021. The conference is organised as part of the Transformative Responses project and supported by the SOAS Centre for Sustainable Finance. Participation is open to all, but registration is required. Please see the full conference programme .