Inaugural Singapore Sustainable Investing & Financing Conference (SSIFC) to Shape the Agenda on Sustainable Development in Asia

• Faced with the threat of climate change, Asia is poised to see significant capital shifts into sustainable strategies
• SSIFC aims to spark deep conversations about the drivers needed to catalyse sustainable investing and financing in the region

The first-ever Singapore Sustainable Investing & Financing Conference (SSIFC) will take place on 30 September in a hybrid format, as part of the annual Ecosperity Week by Temasek. Organised by BlackRock, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Temasek, SSIFC will bring together business leaders, investors and civil society for discussions around the theme “Bridging the Gap – Advancing Asia’s Sustainable Future”.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report¹ warns that efforts to limit global warming require immediate, rapid and large-scale action. This is especially critical in Asia, which stands on the front lines of climate change. It is estimated that an average of between US$2.8 trillion and US$4.7 trillion of annual GDP in Asia will be at risk by 2050² – accounting for more than two-thirds of the impact of climate change on global annual GDP.

At the same time, the growing demand for sustainable investment in Asia is creating a significant financing gap. In a 2017 United Nations Environment Programme report, annual flows of green finance in Southeast Asia were estimated at US$40 billion³, falling short of the estimated US$200 billion needed every year till 2030.

SSIFC will advance the conversation on accelerating the flow of green finance to meet the urgent and critical infrastructure and development needs in the region. It will feature plenary sessions on green infrastructure financing, ESG integration, impact investing and sustainable investments, and will open with a fireside chat with Mr Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s Minister for Finance.

Rohit Sipahimalani, Chief Investment Strategist, Temasek said: “The climate emergency will continue to have a significant impact on our lives and livelihoods. There is both a financial and social imperative for investors to evaluate and include climate-aligned opportunities within their portfolios. We believe that a high-ambition climate agenda will deliver environmental and social benefits for everyone, and help to deliver better and more sustainable returns over the longer term.”

Rachel Lord, Chair and Head of Asia Pacific, BlackRock, said, “Climate risk is already transforming global finance – and the business model of every company will be profoundly affected by the transition to a net zero economy. Governments, investors, and industry experts all have an important role to play in encouraging companies to incorporate sustainability into their business. That’s precisely why we are proud to help convene conferences like SSIFC and advance critical discussions around a just transition to Net Zero.” 

“There is no shortage of capital to finance the transition to zero carbon. But in order to achieve any meaningful success in this area, the public and private sectors must work together to mobilise both domestic and international capital at scale, designing bankable projects that can attract capital flows,” said Alfonso Garcia Mora, IFC Vice President for Asia and Pacific.

“At the same time, we’ve estimated that Asia as a whole offers over 80 per cent of the total estimated climate-smart investment opportunities of at least US$29 trillion in the emerging world to 2030.”

Expanding the Role of Capital Markets to Enable a Sustainable Future for Asia

SSIFC will feature a hybrid event experience, with in-person plenaries at Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands that will also be live-streamed for delegates. This includes five plenary sessions on:

• Galvanising Green Infrastructure Financing, which explores the critical role that private investment and financing have in galvanising sustainable infrastructure financing on the path towards net zero emissions;
• The Future of ESG Integration, which will explore how investors will grow in their sophistication in ESG integration methodology, the future of ESG disclosures, and how ESG will shape the global corporate agenda;
• The Impact Revolution, which addresses impact trends, private and public investment opportunities and how the industry can evolve efficiently amid a world where impact capital is increasingly critical for underserved markets and communities;
• Geopolitics of Sustainable Investing, which looks at the impact of the global climate agenda on geopolitics and what this means for global investments; and
• Sustainable investment trends, which will build on the discussions throughout the day and explore the thematic sustainable investment trends that investors should focus on in this decade of action for the climate.

The plenary sessions will feature industry leaders from the public and private sectors, such as Mr Amit Bouri, CEO, Global Impact Investing Network; Ms Martina L. Cheung, President, S&P Global Market Intelligence; Sir Ronald Cohen, Chairman, Global Steering Group for Impact Investment; Ms Janine Guillot, CEO, Value Reporting Foundation; Mr Philipp Hildebrand, Vice Chairman, BlackRock; Mr Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Founder & Chairman, Paulson Institute; Mr Rohit Sipahimalani, Chief Investment Strategist, Temasek; Ms Stephanie von Friedeburg, Senior Vice President, Operations, International Finance Corporation; and more.

SSIFC will conclude with the Ecosperity Week Closing Address by Ms Ho Ching, Executive Director & CEO, Temasek Holdings. 

The first-ever SSIFC is supported by sponsor PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

To find out more about SSIFC, please visit www.ecosperity.sg/ssifc.

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_{¹ https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
² https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/climate-risk-and-response-in-asia
³ https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/annual-asean-green-investment-needs-grow-400-guard-against}

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About International Finance Corporation

IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2021, IFC committed a record US$31.5 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit http://www.ifc.org  

About Temasek

Temasek is an investment company with a net portfolio value of S$381 billion (US$283b) as at 31 March 2021. Our Charter roles as an investor, institution and steward shape our investment stance, ethos and philosophy, to do well, do right and do good. We actively seek sustainable solutions to address present and future challenges, as we capture investment and other opportunities that help to bring about a better, smarter and more sustainable world. Headquartered in Singapore, Temasek has 13 offices around the world. For more information on Temasek, please visit www.temasek.com.sg.