IFRS S1 & S2 for SME Lending: Translating Sustainability and Climate Risks into Credit Decisions
From sustainability disclosures to better-informed SME credit decisions.
Join Rhodope Global and Dr. Marwa Elshafei for a focused, one-hour webinar exploring how sustainability and climate risks can affect an SME’s financial position, resilience and creditworthiness—and what this means for lenders.
What you’ll take away
A clearer understanding of the relevance of IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 to SME lending.
A practical perspective on how sustainability and climate risks can influence financial position and credit ratings.
Key questions to ask when considering sustainability and climate risk in an SME credit assessment.
Who should attend
SME lenders, credit analysts, risk managers, finance professionals and sustainability practitioners. The session provides an accessible overview, with time for questions and discussion.
Agenda · Egypt time
18:30–18:40: Welcome and context—IFRS S1/S2 and SME lending.
18:40–19:15: Translating sustainability and climate risks into lending implications.
19:15–19:30: Questions and discussion.
About the speaker · Dr. Marwa Elshafei
Dr. Marwa Elshafei is an international banking, climate risk and sustainable finance consultant with more than 18 years of experience advising banks, financial institutions, regulators and development organisations across Egypt, the GCC and Africa. Her work spans the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Libya, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda.
She specialises in integrating climate-related financial risks into enterprise risk management, capital planning, financial reporting and banking governance. Her advisory engagements cover climate risk assessment and scenario analysis, IFRS S1/S2 implementation, IFRS 9 Expected Credit Loss, Basel II/III, ICAAP, stress testing, Asset Liability Management, ESG risk management and sustainable finance.
An Executive Director in Risk, Sustainability & Climate Risk Advisory and a Certified Board of Directors Trainer, she is also faculty for leading professional institutions, including the Egyptian Banking Institute (EBI). She delivers executive programmes on climate risk, Basel frameworks, sustainable finance, enterprise risk management, regulatory compliance and financial sector transformation.
About the host · Veselina Vargova
Veselina Vargova is Co-Founder and ESG Consultant at Rhodope Global (UK), with expertise in sustainable finance and ESG strategy across GCC/MENA, African and European markets. She is Head of ESG Faculty at the M.C. Mehta Centre for Education and Research, Co-Founder of Africa Capital Connect, and a Peer Learning Group facilitator for Sustainable Finance with the UN Global Compact Network Indian Ocean.
She brings over 10 years of experience in the management and audit of European projects, working with EU institutions, alongside a background in finance and risk analysis. Her expertise spans CSRD/ESRS, IFRS S1/S2, GRI, ISSB, PCAF and EBA Pillar 3.
Join us
Friday, 25 September 2026
18:30–19:30 Egypt time (Cairo)
Live online via Google Meet · Free with registration
Reserve your place and share a question when registering. Bring an SME lending challenge or a sustainability-related credit question to the discussion.