Unlocking capital for sustainability 2021

Rebuilding our economies in a post-Covid-19 era has never been more urgent.

All around the world, countries are still facing social and economic fallout from the global pandemic. The International Monetary Fund estimates that global GDP shrank an unprecedented 3.3 per cent in 2020 — the world’s worst recession since the Great Depression.

Yet, vaccination rollouts and new responses are providing glimmers of hope. The IMF is now predicting a stronger recovery with growth projected to be 6 per cent in 2021.

Daunting challenges remain, however. Recoveries are diverging across and within countries — particularly in the Asia Pacific region — creating large gaps in living standards, vaccination programmes and government support.

Against this backdrop, the role of finance in this recovery has come sharply into focus, with a growing chorus of stakeholders demanding sustainable recovery investments. In 2020, ESG investments more than doubled — with investors pouring in a record US$51 billion.

While a positive sign, the lack of global standards on ESG funds and sustainable finance instruments has attracted widespread criticism of greenwashing. How can the financial sector adequately respond to these global concerns? What is the role of finance in the green recovery in Asia Pacific, and how can public and private sectors collaborate to scale credible ESG investments?

This September 16, we will convene leading minds from government, financial institutions and civic society around the world for this important conversation.

Partners include: OCBC Bank, Refinitiv, UOB, Wilmar, Endowus, Equilibrium, Fair Finance Asia, S&P Global Market Intelligence, Sindicatum Renewable Energy, AVPN, CDP, ClientEarth, Climate Governance Malaysia, Global Compact Network Singapore, Singapore Institude of Directors