This is the first monthly webinar hosted by the Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI), since its launch in December 2023 during COP28. The main purpose of this webinar is to invite renowned experts in this field to share with the audience an overview of global sustainable finance market and policy developments and to cast an outlook for the year 2024.
Chairman of CASI, President of Institute of Finance and Sustainability (IFS), Former Co-Chair of G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group
Dr. Ma is the Chairman of CASI, and President of Beijing-based Institute of Finance and Sustainability (IFS). He also serves as the Chairman of the Green Finance Committee of China Society for Finance and Banking, Co-Chair of IPSF Taxonomy Working Group, and Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Green Investment Principles (GIP) for the Belt & Road. Dr. Ma was formerly the Co-Chair of G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group, a member of Steering Committee of the NGFS, and a member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the People’s Bank of China.
CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI)
Sean Kidney is CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, an international NGO working to mobilize global capital for climate action. He oversees green bond development programs on six continents; green taxonomy development by governments ranging from the European Commission to Thailand & Singapore; and policy development for capital mobilization. Sean is also a Professor in Practice at SOAS University of London and an expert advisor to governments around the world.
Vice Chair of International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)
Jingdong Hua was appointed as Vice-Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) in August 2022. He is the former Vice President and Treasurer of the World Bank, and also served as the Administrator of the World Bank Group Pension Fund. Prior to that, he served as Vice President and Treasurer of the International Finance Corporation, where he led innovative bond issuances in several emerging markets. He has also previously served as Deputy Treasurer of the Asian Development Bank and has held positions at the United Nations Development Programme and the African Development Bank.
Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Sustainable Finance, International Capital Market Association (ICMA)
Nicholas Pfaff is the Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Sustainable Finance at the International Capital Market Association (ICMA). He is the Secretary of the Green, Social, Sustainability and Sustainability-linked Bond Principles. He is a former member of the European Commission’s Technical Expert Group (TEG) on Sustainable Finance and Platform on Sustainable Finance (PSF), as well as a past contributor to the G20 and G7 working groups and dialogues on sustainable finance.
Panel discussion
Sustainable finance markets and products: opportunities, challenges and what to expect in 2024?
Headwinds such as high interest rates did not stop the rapid growth of global sustainable bond markets. In 2023, the global issuance of green, social, sustainable and sustainability-linked bonds was forecast to reach US$900 billion, growing 15% from a year before. In some emerging and developing markets with relatively lower interest rates, green loans even grew at a rate of around 30%. To better understand the main opportunities for and challenges to different markets , experts from both advanced and emerging markets will share their insights, covering various policy and regulatory initiatives, as well as important product areas such as banking, bonds and asset management. They will also provide an outlook for sustainable finance market development in 2024 and beyond.
Moderator: Stan Ho, Adjunct Professor in Management and Strategy, HKU Business School
