The UNEP FI Regional Roundtable Asia Pacific was held on 24-25 May in Seoul, South Korea. The event convened 375+ UNEP FI members, policymakers, civil society organisations, and academia to discuss the advancement of sustainable finance, its challenges, and solutions in Asia Pacific.

In addition to having the opportunity to network with the finance community in the region, speakers and participants explored important issues specific to the region, including net zero banking and insurance, ASEAN taxonomies as guiding frameworks for the finance sector, understanding and managing nature-related risks, financial health and inclusion, and more.

You can watch the recordings from the event here.

Time Plenary Sessions – Day 1 (Grand Ballroom)
09:00 Opening of UNEP FI Regional Roundtable Asia Pacific 

  • Master of Ceremonies: Dae Woong Lim, Korea and ASEAN Advisor, UNEP FI
09:05 Welcome Address

  • Eric Usher, Head, UNEP FI
09:15 Opening keynote

  • Kim So young, Vice Chairman, Financial Services Commission, Korea
09:25 Welcome keynote

  • Ok Dong Jin, Chairman & CEO, Shinhan Financial Group
09:35 Keynote speech

  • Young-Joo Ham, Chairman & CEO, Hana Financial Group
09:45 Keynote speech

  • Dr Sang-hyup KIM, Co-chair of the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth
09:55 Financing the transition towards a sustainable future in Asia Pacific

  • Tae-Young Paik, Board Member, ISSB
  • Jeong-hoon Cho, Head of ESG division, Shinhan Financial Group
  • Henry Gonzalez, Deputy Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF)
  • Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited (CDL)
  • Moderator: Eric Usher, Head, UNEP FI
10:55 Break
11:20 Strengthening the regulatory landscape of sustainable finance in Asia Pacific

  • Geetu Joshi, Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance of the Government of India
  • Shigeru Ariizumi, Vice Commissioner for International Affairs, Japan Financial Services Agency, Vice Chair, IOSCO Board
  • Pyoung-Seok Seo, Director of Financial Stability Department, Bank of Korea
  • Lyn Javier, Assistant Governor, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
  • Achala Abeysinghe, Director & Head of Programs for Asia, Global Green Growth Institute
  • Moderator: Junice Yeo, Executive Director & Head of ESG Intelligence, Eco-Business
12:20 What does the Global Biodiversity Framework mean for Asia Pacific

  • Kristina Anguelova, Head of Asia Sustainable Finance, WWF-Singapore
  • Mee-kyung Lee, CEO, Korea Green Foundation
  • Moderator: Romie Goedicke, Associate Nature Lead, UNEP FI
12:45 Lunch
Parallel sessions (Grand Ballroom) Parallel sessions (Studio1-3)
13:35 Deep dive into impact and target setting for banks

  • Shanning Dong, General Manager, Green Finance Department, Bank of Jiangsu
  • Ikuo Ozawa, Deputy General Manager, Sustainability Planning Department, Mizuho Financial Group, Inc
  • Karine Bueno, PRB Individual Review Lead, UNEP FI
  • Moderator: Nirnita Talukdar, Regional Coordinator for Asia Pacific, UNEP FI
Aligning insurance with climate goals

  • Jooyoun Hong, Head of ESG Secretariat, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance
  • Neha Yadav, Business Development Director, Descartes Underwriting
  • Farzanah Chowdhury, Managing Director & CEO, Green Delta Insurance
  • Moderator: Butch Bacani, PSI Lead, UNEP FI
14:35 Next steps on adaptation and climate stress testing for financial institutions

  • Grace Tam, Director, Investments, Clean Energy Finance Corporation
  • David Carlin, TCFD Programme Lead, UNEP FI
  • Gabor Gyura, Capacity Building Coordinator, UNEP FI
  • Moderator: Nirnita Talukdar, Regional Coordinator for Asia Pacific, UNEP FI
15:35 Networking Break
16:10 Need for active client engagement while decarbonizing portfolios

  • Monica Bae, Director, Investor Practice, the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC)
  • Tomo Ishikawa, Chief Regulatory Engagement Officer, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG)
  • Seiji Kawazoe, Global Initiative Fellow, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management
  • Moderator: Mustafa Chaudhry, Digital Lead, UNEP FI
Managing environmental, social and governance risks in life & health insurance business

  • Edward Moncreiffe, CEO, HSBC Insurance (Asia) Limited and HSBC Life (International) Limited
  • George Thomas, Professor (Research & Non-Life), College of Insurance, Insurance Institute of India
  • Moderator: Butch Bacani, PSI Lead, UNEP FI
17:10 End of Day 1

 

 

Time Sessions – Day 2
Parallel sessions (Grand Ballroom) Parallel sessions (Studio 1-3)
09:00 Opening of Day 2 Opening of Day 2
09:05 Role of data in assessing and managing ESG risk

  • Simone Kramer, Head of Product, Net-Zero Data Public Utility
  • Tiange Wei, Asia-Pacific Lead, PCAF & Managing Consultant, Guidehouse
  • YoungJin Lee, Head of Korea, ESG Solutions S&P Global Sustainable1
  • Dr. Miyako Enokibori, Associate Director, CDP Worldwide-Japan
  • Moderator: Dr. Guo Peiyuan, Chairman of SynTao Green Finance and UNEP FI Advisor in China
Addressing financial health in financial institutions

  • Rajesh Malhotra, Group Chief Financial and Investment Officer, Myanma Awba Group CEO, Maha Agriculture Microfinance
  • Tiffany Hodgson, Head of Sustainability and Inclusion, Green Climate Fund
  • Ick Jin, Director General, Economic Analysis Department, the National Assembly Budget Office
  • Moderator: Joana Pedro, Social Lead, UNEP FI
09:55 Opportunities and instruments for ESG Investing in Asia

  • Alexandra Boakes Tracy, President, Hoi Ping Ventures Hong Kong
  • Jinsuk Choi, Head of Sustainable Investment Team, Korea Investment Corporation
  • Xiaotian Li, Marketing Director, Aegon-Industrial Fund
  • Wonsuk Han, Head of ESG Planning Team, Korea Development Bank
  • Jong Dae Kim, Director, Green Finance Graduate Program and ESG Centre, Sustainability Management Research Institute, Inha University
  • Moderator: Gabor Gyura, Capacity Building Coordinator, UNEP FI
Sustainable land use and deforestation risks in Asia Pacific

  • Wonsik Jeong, Investment Manager, D3Jubilee Partners
  • Hae Jun Yang, Deputy Senior Manager, Woori Financial Group
  • Moderator: Romie Goedicke, Associate Nature Lead, UNEP FI
10:45 Regulatory expectations on climate risk and biodiversity from financial institutions

  • Adam Ng, Asia-Pacific Lead, GFRI and Sustainable Finance Advisor (Malaysia), WWF
  • Diana Parusheva-Lowery, Executive Director, Public Policy and Sustainable Finance, Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA)
  • Moderator: Laura Canas da Costa, Senior Policy Expert, UNEP FI
Finance perspectives on ocean health and plastics

  • Regula Schegg, Managing Director, Asia, Circulate Capital
  • Hae Jun Yang, Deputy Senior Manager, Woori Financial Group
  • Jon Jie, Chief Operations Officer, Marina Chain
  • Moderator: Romie Goedicke, Associate Nature Lead, UNEP FI
11:30 Break
11:50 Embedding sustainability into the culture and governance of financial institutions

  • Constant van Aerschot, Director Asia Pacific, Accounting for Sustainability (A4S)
  • Jong-O Lee, Director, KoSIF
  • Karine Bueno, PRB Individual Review Lead, UNEP FI
  • Nirnita Talukdar, Regional Coordinator for Asia Pacific, UNEP FI
  • Moderator: Mustafa Chaudhry, Digital Lead, UNEP FI
Deep dive into nature-related disclosures: TNFD consultation

  • Hiroshi Takashima, Research Counselor and Head of Sustainability Research, The Norinchukin Bank
  • Hiroko Urashima, Manager, Sustainability Department, MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.
  • Moderator: Romie Goedicke, Associate Nature Lead, UNEP FI
12:40 Lunch
Plenary sessions (Grand Ballroom – 3rd Floor)
13:30 Keynote speech

  • Gwang Soo Kim, Chairman, and CEO, Korea Federation of Banks
13:40 Financing sustainable development through a just and inclusive transition: critical for a low carbon economy in Asia

  • Anouj Mehta, Country Director, Thailand Resident Mission, and Former Head of the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance facility, ADB
  • Yuki Yasui, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Network, Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)
  • Masayuki Takanashi, Group Chief Sustainability Officer (CSuO) & General Manager, Corporate Sustainability Department , Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group
  • Moderator: Joana Pedro, Social Lead, UNEP FI
14:15 Achieving net zero in Asia Pacific

  • Herry Cho, Group Head Sustainability & Sustainable Finance, Singapore Exchange (SGX)
  • Tomo Ishikawa, Chief Regulatory Engagement Officer, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG)
  • Hye-Sook Moon, Managing Director, KB Financial Group
  • Masaaki Nagamura, General Manager International Initiatives, Tokio Marine
  • Moderator: Yuki Yasui, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Network, Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)
15:15 The future of responsible banking in APAC

  • Luanne Sieh, Senior Managing Director, Head of Group Sustainability, CIMB Group and Working Group Chair, CEO Action Network
  • Shanning Dong, General Manager, Green Finance Department, Bank of Jiangsu
  • Louise Kim, Director, Sustainable Finance (Seoul), ING
  • Oh Jung tack, Deputy President of ESG Group, Hana Financial Group
  • Moderator: Karine Bueno, PRB Individual Review Lead, UNEP FI
16:05 Closing remarks

  • Nirnita Talukdar, Regional Coordinator for Asia Pacific, UNEP FI
16:15 End of UNEP FI Regional Roundtable Asia Pacific 2023

Platinum Sponsor:

Shinhan Financial Group (“Shinhan”) is one of the leading financial institutions in Korea in terms of total assets, revenues, profitability and capital adequacy, among others. Incorporated in 2001, Shinhan is the first privately-held financial holding company to be established in Korea. As of June 30, 2022, Shinhan has 16 direct subsidiaries offering a wide range of financial products and services, including commercial banking, corporate banking, private banking, credit card, asset management, brokerage and insurance services. Under its corporate vision that reads “We believe finance should be More Friendly, More Secure, More Creative,” Shinhan is empowering its customers through finance. Shinhan is also further accelerating the pace of ESG management across its strong online and offline channels, which adds to more than 1,700 channels in Korea and 244 channels across 20 countries overseas, to take action against climate change, resolve environmental and social issues, and ultimately “Do the Right Thing for a Wonderful World.”

For more information please visit:  http://www.shinhangroup.com/en/crm/csrreport/csr_subsidiary.jsp

Hana Financial Group, grown out of Korea Investment and Finance, was created in July 1991 when the letter was reincorporated into a banking corporation. During the early days immediately following its debut as a bank, we succeeded in creating a perception among consumers that Hana is ‘A small, but reliable bank,’ through professional services and attentive customer relations management. Today, Hana Financial Group is one of the major players of Korea’s banking industry, also enjoying recognition from the world’s leading financial papers like Euromoney, finance Asia and Asia money, who selected it as the ‘Best Korean Bank’. With its net income for 2004 standing at a historic 1 trillion won, Hana Financial Group has now emerged as an uncontested frontrunner of Korea’s financial industry, thanks to a corporate culture that values autonomy, self motivation and progressiveness, and to the efficient management of its organization which rapidly grew in size over the years.

Bronze Sponsor:

BNZ PARTNERS is a net zero-specialized advisory and accelerator. It is a subsidiary company of ECO&PARTNERS and an official Supporting Institution of UNEP Finance Initiative. It advises financial institutions, industry and governments to develop and implement net zero strategy. It designs country-wide climate policies including, K-ETS (Emission Trading Scheme in Korea), K-Taxonomy, TCFD-related policy, green finance plan, etc. Also, as an accelerator, it is discovering, nurturing and investing in climate tech start-ups in Korea and around the world as part of its Net Zero solution.

For more information please visit:  http://bnzpartners.co.kr/en/

Partners:

The Chartered Banker Institute is a global professional education body for bankers, based in the UK.  Established by Royal Charter, we are a not-for-profit educational charity with a mission to enhance and sustain socially purposeful, responsible, professional banking in the public interest.  We do this by developing and supporting bankers’ education and professional development throughout their careers

We are the largest UK professional body for bankers, with more than 33,000 members – individual banking professionals who make an ongoing commitment to developing their customer-focused ethical professionalism.

https://www.charteredbanker.com/ 

Media partner:

Established in 2009, Eco-Business is Asia Pacific’s largest media and business intelligence organisation dedicated to sustainable development and ESG performance.

We are the only organisation in the region with a news, advisory and innovation business that spans across the entire sustainability ecosystem. Our award-winning news platform delivers high quality trusted content to a senior audience around the world, while our ESG Intelligence team provides affordable advisory and training services to a wide range of organisations. MNCs, SMEs, governments, multilateral institutes and civic society organisations across the world tap on our suite of thought leadership services across multimedia platforms, as well as advisory services, training and development.

We also match capital to the best innovations that solve specific sustainability challenges and accelerate the time it takes for ideas to reach commercial markets. We are headquartered in Singapore, with a presence in China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and correspondents in major cities around the world.