The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a leading financial hub in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, has launched the “One Million Learners” initiative, aiming to equip one million individuals with knowledge in sustainability and sustainable finance by 2030. The initiative was announced as part of DIFC’s Sustainable Finance Catalyst, during the Dubai FinTech Summit held in Madinat Jumeirah.
This initiative reflects DIFC’s commitment to promoting sustainable development by empowering individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to understand sustainable finance — helping build more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready societies. Commenting on the launch, Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, stated: “We believe that education is the starting point for real change. Through this ambitious initiative, we aim to make sustainability knowledge accessible to all and reinforce our region’s leadership in this field.”
The initiative is backed by a founding coalition of 28 prominent international and local organizations, including the AICPA, CFA Institute, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Emirates NBD, Mastercard, UNDP, and other leading institutions in education and sustainability.
To track and evaluate the initiative’s impact, DIFC has appointed GIST Impact as its strategic partner to develop an integrated impact measurement and reporting framework. This will be based on leading global standards, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), CSRD, and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). GIST Impact is globally recognized for its ability to translate social and economic outcomes into measurable indicators, ensuring that the initiative delivers tangible and lasting impact, particularly in underprivileged and high-need communities.
Through these partnerships and wide-scale collaboration, DIFC is preparing to reshape how sustainability learning is delivered at scale, empowering a new generation of changemakers and professionals to lead with purpose.