Asia accounts for over half of global greenhouse gas emissions and its contribution is only expected to grow over the next five years. The region faces a daunting task of meeting its nationally determined contributions, let alone the 2030 mid-term goals for the Paris Agreement. It is imperative to accelerate decarbonisation and we must ‘scale the green’ and ‘transition the brown/grey’ without jeopardising growth, energy security, or economic stability.

Panellists will discuss the interplay between policy, solutions, and financing in addressing this challenge. Specifically, how governments, investors and businesses can collaborate to scale priority technologies, build critical infrastructure, and fund the transition. Against a backdrop of geopolitical shifts, how can Asian countries chart their unique decarbonisation pathways?

Carbon markets remain one of the most powerful yet underutilised tools for climate finance and corporate decarbonisation. However, with geopolitical uncertainty and greenwashing fears on the rise, many corporates are retreating – just as Asia’s compliance markets start to take shape. What is next for carbon markets in Asia beyond COP29? How can the voluntary and compliance markets complement each other? How can meta-standards’ frameworks, such as the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles (CCP) labels, help rebuild trust?

This fireside chat will unpack the evolving carbon markets landscape and what this means for corporate strategy, risk and opportunity.

As Asia grapples with the climate challenge against geopolitical and economic headwinds, the interplay between scaling up green energy and transitioning to a low-carbon real economy will be critical in determining Asia's transition pathway. 

How has regional progress been achieved on this front and what are the roadblocks? With limited funding commitment coupled with pullbacks from developed economies, how can the financial sector play a greater and more immediate role in catalysing the estimated US$1.7 trillion annual investment required for Asia's transition? How do public-private partnerships create the right incentives and risk-sharing mechanisms to accelerate this shift? Panellists will discuss financing mechanisms for diverse investor risk profile, and share insights on aligning capital with Asia’s transition goals to drive immediate, high-impact deployment. 

Increasing fiscal strain on governments has ushered in a new wave of opportunity for private capital to finance infrastructure. Mega forces like the transition to a low-carbon economy and digital disruption are reshaping the playing field and providing tailwinds for infrastructure in many economies.

How can capital be put to work to create long-term value for investors, and for the real economy? How are financing considerations changing for long-lived assets, and how should global investors position themselves for this opportunity? This segment will underscore considerations by leading global investors in owning and managing infrastructure assets across Asia. Concrete case-studies will bring life to the region’s unique ecosystem and corresponding challenges and opportunities.

Momentum for the energy transition remains strong in Asia, but innovative mechanisms are needed to overcome financial hurdles along the pathway to a clean energy future. From blended finance structures to new risk mitigation solutions and regulatory pilots, the clean energy ecosystem is evolving to unlock investment and accelerate deployment.

Panellists will explore how financial and regulatory stakeholders are trialling and scaling new approaches to derisk clean energy projects, mobilise capital at scale, and accelerate the transition. Beyond current initiatives, panellists will also address how systemic changes can be unlocked with accompanying regulatory and ecosystem shifts to foster stronger, more impactful collaboration across the value chain.

As climate change accelerates, the need for climate adaptation and resilience (A&R) solutions has never been more urgent. Traditionally viewed as a public good, climate A&R has been primarily perceived as the public sector's responsibility, evidenced by the private sector's minimal contribution to global adaptation financing of less than 3% from 2019 to 2022. However, there is growing recognition that private sector's share of financing is essential for driving innovation, efficiency and scale. This fireside chat will explore why A&R is becoming a critical investment focus and how innovative solutions in this space present compelling opportunities for private investors. The discussion will begin with key insights from the latest findings on investable opportunities in A&R for private equity investors. Following this, two industry experts will share their perspectives and experiences investing in A&R across both public and private markets.