With government budgets under pressure as countries scramble to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, mobilizing green financing offers Southeast Asian countries the means to finance a recovery that can lead to sustainable long-term growth, said experts at the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS) 2021.
The experts at the panel, "Financing Post-Pandemic Green Growth and Green Recovery," identified green bonds, catalytic green financing vehicles, and green loans among instruments Southeast Asian economies should consider.
The session was co-organized by ADB, the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility, EU SWITCH-Asia Programme, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Speakers:
- Jean-Louis Ville, Unit Head, East Asia and Pacific, Directorate-General for International Partnerships, European Commission
- Virginie Marchal, Senior Programme Manager, Sustainable Infrastructure, Environment Directorate, OECD
- Ephyro Luis B. Amatong, Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission, Philippines
- Tiza Mafira, Associate Director, Climate Policy Initiative
- Sean Kidney, CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative
- Moderator: Anouj Mehta, Unit Head, Green and Innovative Finance and the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF), ADB
- Co-Moderator: Naeeda Crishna Morgado, Infrastructure Specialist (Innovation and Green Finance), ADB
SEADS aims to help crystallize thinking on relevant and critical issues in the region, and support countries in becoming prosperous, knowledge-based, and sustainable.
SEADS 2021, Innovation through Collaboration: Planning for an Inclusive Post-COVID-19 Recovery, was held on 17–18 March.
