Napoleon’s Rabbit Defeat a guide for green finance
Banks need to sell Green Finance with the same gusto with which they advertise school fees loans on school opening days.
In the annals of history, Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeats are often recounted on the grand stage of warfare, yet one peculiar incident in July of 1807 stands out as an unexpected and comical chapter in the emperor’s saga: The infamous Rabbit Ambush.
It was a time of celebration following the Treaties of Tilsit, marking the end of hostilities between the French Empire and Imperial Russia.
To honour the occasion, Napoleon’s chief of staff, Alexandre Berthier, orchestrated a rabbit hunt within the verdant confines of a Parisian park. The stage was set for a leisurely pursuit of game, attended by some of the empire’s most esteemed military figures.
As the cages were opened and the rabbits released, instead of scattering in fear, the creatures surged forth with unexpected ferocity. What began as amusement quickly turned to chaos as the rabbits, in a frenzy akin to a military charge, launched themselves at the emperor and his entourage.
Attempts to fend off the onslaught proved futile as Napoleon and his men found themselves besieged by an army of fluffy assailants. Riding crops and sticks were wielded in desperation but the relentless rabbits wouldn’t relent. General Paul Charles François Adrien Henri Dieudonné Thiébault vividly described the scene in his memoirs, recounting how the rabbits outmaneuvered and overwhelmed even the mighty Napoleon, forcing him to retreat and ultimately concede the field to his tiny adversaries.
Ill-suited tame rabbits
It became apparent that Berthier’s oversight had led to the procurement of tame rabbits ill-suited for a traditional hunt.
Accustomed to captivity and hungering for food, they saw Napoleon not as a hunter but potential provider, leading to their audacious assault. This quirky footnote reminds us that even the most formidable of adversaries can be bested by the most unlikely of foes.
In the modern financial landscape, banks likewise find themselves in a dynamic struggle for relevance and sustainability.
Just as Napoleon conquered nations but fell to bunnies, they must adapt or be overwhelmed by niche competitors, especially in the realm of green finance.
Banks must recognise the shifting tides of consumer preferences and global imperatives towards sustainability lest they become vulnerable to innovative disruptors.
The parallels extend to the nature of competition. Napoleon’s conquests relied on strategic prowess and superior firepower, the diminutive rabbits sheer numbers and unconventional tactics.
So, banks, with their vast resources and established infrastructure, may overlook emerging players in the green finance space, such as micro-finance institutions and niche lenders. But the ‘tiny’ competitors, possess the agility and focus to capitalise on growing demand for sustainable financial products.
Banks, therefore, must proactively embrace green finance and mainstream their offerings to remain competitive in an evolving landscape.
Just as Napoleon’s armies adapted to new challenges on the battlefield, banks must adapt to the changing demands of consumers and investors. This entails not only offering green lines of credit but actively promoting and advertising green finance.
Banks need to have a go to market strategy, they need to sell Green Finance with the same gusto with which they advertise school fees loans on school opening days. They must mainstream green finance to avoid Napoleon’s fate rabbits and lead the transition to a greener, more resilient financial system.
- Ms Hassan is the business development manager, SolarNow (EA) Ltd. [email protected].
