EDB ESG Managing Director presents the Bank’s strategy at CASI meeting
Almaty, August 8, 2024 – Conrad Albrecht, EDB’s ESG Managing Director, participated in the second in-person meeting of the Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI Themed “Empowering Sustainability and Prosperity in Asia: Innovative Financial Solutions for Connectivity and Transition,” the event featured a two-day workshop in Hong Kong from June 24th to 25th.
Co-hosted by the Institute of Finance and Sustainability (IFS), Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) Infrastructure Finance Facilitation Office (IFFO), and the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the event provided a platform to share best practices and promote innovative sustainable finance solutions among emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) aiming to scale up their sustainable finance markets.
Over 300 participants from more than 20 jurisdictions attended the event in Hong Kong, representing central banks and regulators, executives from leading financial institutions, corporations, NGOs, research institutions and industrial associations. Influential thought leaders from across the Asia-Pacific Region, including Cambodia, Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, as well as from developed non-Asian markets such as Europe, the UK, and the US, also participated. Attendees have expressed their high regard for the event's content and execution, with many hoping for CASI to extend its capacity-building services to other regions as well.
During the event, expert speakers shared the latest trends and practices through enriching dialogues on a wide range of topics, including sustainable finance frameworks, sustainability disclosure, green and low-carbon transitions, origination of sustainable projects, blended finance, biodiversity conservation, and blue finance. Participants actively contributed to the discussions and knowledge-sharing sessions, bringing in various use cases of sustainable finance taxonomies, potential solutions for challenges in sustainability disclosure by SMEs, the role and deployment of transition finance, and strategies for better mobilizing financial resources to support sustainable infrastructure, preserve biodiversity, and scale the blue economy.
Conrad Albrecht presented the Bank, its Strategy and shared experience of implemented green projects.
“I think that the multilateral development banks and other international financial organizations should feel a certain responsibility addressing climate challenges in Central Asia. We are looking forward to work together with other MDBs and, of course, national governments in our member states. I believe that our joint efforts will adequately address long-term partnerships and sustainable projects in Central Asia.
The countries of Central Asia have joined the global agenda on climate change by committing to climate change-to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the framework of international agreements. These states are developing national strategies for achieving carbon neutrality and other documents on transition to sustainable development and green economy. Achieving these goals requires substantial financial resources, which could be a heavy burden on the State budgets of Central Asian countries. In this regard, it is therefore critical to mobilize financing for both climate and sustainable projects”, - Albrecht stated
Additional Information:
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is a multilateral development bank investing in Eurasia. For more than 18 years, the Bank has worked to strengthen and expand economic ties and foster comprehensive development in its member countries. The EDB's charter capital totals $7 bln. Its portfolio consists principally of projects with an integration effect in transport infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and mechanical engineering. The Bank’s operations are guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ESG principles.
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