Making sure small- and medium-sized enterprises have access to green solutions and financing is one way for Southeast Asian economies to attain sustainable recovery, said experts during the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS) 2021.
During the panel, "Scaling up SMEs Sustainable Consumption and Production Actions," the experts looked at the challenges and opportunities for enabling SMEs to become effective engines for a greener value chain and a green recovery.
The session was co-organized by ADB and the EU SWITCH-Asia Programme.
Speakers
- Moderator: Arab Hoballah, EU SWITCH-Asia
Panel 1: SCP Solutions by SMEs, Innovation, and Collaboration for Green Recovery
- Micha Ramakers, Deputy Head, Directorate for Middle-East, Asia and Pacific, DG International Partnerships, European Commission
- Preety Bhandari, Director, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management Division, ADB
- Oliver Greenfield, Convenor, Green Economy Coalition • Giulia Ajmone Marsan, Director on Strategy and Partnership, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia
- Mirko Zürker, SEED Green Recovery Specialist; Head, SEED Asia
- Qazi Sabir, Project Manager, EU SWITCH-Asia Project—Implementation of Resource and Energy Efficient Technologies in the Sugar Sector of Pakistan, Pakistan
- Hugo Agostinho, Project Lead, EU SWITCH-Asia Project—Switch to Solar Cambodia • Guy Halpern, Policy Analyst, Environment Directorate, OECD
- Co-moderator: Loraine Gatlabayan, Senior Adviser, EU SWITCH-Asia
Panel 2: Financing for SMEs, Innovative Mechanisms for Green Entrepreneurship
- Gemma Verhofen, Regional Manager East Africa and Asia, EDFI Management Company / Electrifi Investment Programme (EU)
- Melanie Kengen, Blending and Investment Operations, Bangkok Office, European Commission, DG International Partnership (INTPA), Unit C3 East Asia and the Pacific
- Sanjoy Sanyal, SME Finance Expert; Senior Associate, adelphi • Guntur Sutiyono, Indonesia Country Lead, ClimateWorks Australia
- Yossef Zahar, Senior Climate Finance Expert, SEI Affiliated Researcher
- Co-moderator: Cosima Stahr, Sustainable Consumption and Production Expert, Sustainable Consumption and Production Facility, EU-SWITCH-Asia
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.
