UNEP FI’s Asia Pacific Working Group provides a platform for all UNEP FI members based in the Asia-Pacific region to exchange ideas and best practices, and address region-specific sustainability priorities and needs in the financial sector. The Group serves to provide an Asian perspective to UNEP FI’s overall work program. The Task Force also acts as a disseminator and promoter of UNEP FI’s work in the Asia-Pacific Region, in the form of training workshops, webinars, conferences and tools, etc., to promote the adoption of best sustainability practice at all levels of financial institution operations in the Asia-Pacific region.
Within the Working Group, there are three country-based sub-groups:
- Australasia Group
- Japan Group
- Korea Group
Activities
UNEP FI’s regional activities are grounded on the Initiative’s overarching global agenda on sustainable finance, translating this into regional relevance through peer-to-peer knowledge exchanges, network-building, capacity-building via on-line and in-person trainings, and engagement with policymakers, regulators and supervisors. We also engage other stakeholders and partners to jointly identify strategic approaches to promoting sustainable finance, ensuring that regional and sub-regional dynamics and realities are considered. In 2016, some of the activities in the Asia Pacific region include:
- PSI Initiative support to 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Standing Committee on Finance Forum to underscore importance of new financing approaches, instruments and approaches to addressing the risks of loss and damage. Highlights are available here.
- Engagement with stock exchanges at the 5th Global Dialogue of the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, welcoming the Singapore Stock Exchange and Sydney Stock Exchange as new partner stock exchanges.
- Launch of the Investor Obligations and Duties in Six Asian Markets report which consolidates inputs from policymakers, investors and stakeholders in China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea to analyse their investment practices and investor duties
- Exploration of climate insurance options with the Philippine insurance sector representatives through a PSI international market event
- Raised awareness on the positive link between green real estate and investment fundamentals and opportunities through the Asian launch of the Sustainable Real Estate Investment Action Framework on Implementing the Paris Climate Agreement
Training and professional development
UNEP FI has a range of training offerings, both online and in workshop format, covering several themes. For further information on each of these services, please visit the Sustainable Finance Training section.
Members
Financial institutions based in Asia Pacific which are UNEP FI Signatories
Supporting institutions
Association of Insurers and Reinsurers of Developing Countries (Philippines)
Financial Services Council of New Zealand (New Zealand)
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) (Asia Pacific)
Insurance Commission of the Philippines (Philippines)
Insurance Council of Australia (Australia)
Insurance Council of New Zealand (New Zealand)
Insurance Institute for Asia & the Pacific (New Zealand)
Insurance Institute of India (India)
Philippine Insurers & Reinsurers Association (Philippines)
Philippine Life Insurance Association (Philippines)
University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) Business School (Australia)
Contact
Yuki Yasui, Asia Pacific Regional Co-ordinator
asiapacific@unepfi.org
