Singapore Sustainable Finance Association (SSFA)’s Post

Recently, I had the privilege of representing DBS at a crucial meeting in Beijing under the Green Finance Taskforce set up between Singapore and China. This gathering was a melting pot of ideas, attended by representatives from various banks, institutions, and financial authorities. In this meeting, I introduced our initiative to drive green panda bonds, a significant step towards sustainable finance. Green bonds are not just financial instruments; they are beacons of hope for a greener future, and the enthusiasm received was evident and inspiring. Moreover, I shared our journey in Singapore with the Global Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) on implementing and planning for net zero. This story, rooted in commitment, innovation, and strategic planning, offers insights that could foster better collaboration and a smoother transition. Through this post, I hope to not only share the importance and significance of these initiatives but also to inspire further advancement in sustainable finance. Let's continue to work together for a future where finance and sustainability go hand in hand. #dbs #dbsbank #GFANZ #transitionfinance #sustainablefinance #MAS #SGX

IFC - International Finance Corporation and DBS Bank have established a $500M facility under the GTLP to enhance #trade in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, targeting the $2.5T #global trade #finance deficit to foster #economic #development in these areas. The partnership enables a shared risk on up to $500M of trade #assets, improving #DBS’ ability to offer trade finance like #LettersofCredit to businesses engaging with emerging markets, optimizing #risk management. To support the transition to a low-#carbon future, 20% of the facility is dedicated to #financing #climate-friendly trade activities, including #renewable #energy and efficient agricultural practices. This initiative marks IFC's first #GTLP collaboration with a Southeast Asian bank and its inaugural long-term #project with DBS, aiming to extend trade financing in underserved developing markets and bolster #credit limits and risk management for #banks. DBS’ Sriram Muthukrishnan highlighted the venture's focus on enhancing #supplychain resilience, market diversification, and supporting the growth in #emerging markets trade and infrastructure. Nathalie Louat of IFC emphasized the strategic importance of strengthening global supply chains to foster business success and economic #growth, viewing the DBS #partnership as a key to unlocking market expansion opportunities. The MOU signed in 2023 between IFC and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) led to this financing #collaboration, marking a significant step in facilitating Singaporean enterprises’ expansion into emerging markets, as stated by EnterpriseSG’s Geoffrey Yeo. Since its launch, GTLP has channeled over $53B in trade volume across 69 emerging countries through #partnerships with more than 400 financial institutions, underlining its impact on global trade facilitation. #tradefinance #globaltrade #globalshipping Original Article by DBS Bank: https://lnkd.in/eGw-V2gs

DBS is honoured to announce the launch of a US$500 million facility with International Finance Corporation (IFC) under IFC’s Global Trade Liquidity Programme (GTLP). This facility aims to promote capital and trade flows in emerging markets across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, bridging the global trade finance gap of US$2.5 trillion and accelerate economic progress. This facility involves IFC and DBS sharing equal risk on a portfolio of trade-related assets up to US$500 million, enhancing DBS’ capacity to offer more trade financing to businesses engaged with counterparts in emerging markets, while effectively managing risk. This is IFC’s first GTLP with a Southeast Asian bank and the first long-term investment project between IFC and DBS. The partnership is made possible with the support from Enterprise Singapore. Sriram Muthukrishnan, Group Head of Product Management, Global Transaction Services at DBS said, “We constantly seek innovative ways to support our clients’ evolving requirements. These include a greater focus on strengthening supply chain resilience, diversifying business models, establishing new markets, and capitalising on the significant increase in emerging markets trading and infrastructure activities”. Read more here: https://go.dbs.com/3TE5xx5 Tan Su Shan, Sriram Muthukrishnan, Simon Ong #DBS #LeadingWithDBS #DifferentKindOfBank

Private sector is crucial to climate fight. IFC is teaming up with private companies across various sectors in undertaking green, social and sustainable initiatives and provides support from strategic direction to the issuance process of bonds to finance the transitions.

With #biodiversity finance an important topic and in advance of #TNFD launch on 18th September, a big thanks to the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) team for providing an update to our members on progress to date and how financial centres can work together to advance this agenda. #FC4S Thomas Viegas Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Astana International Financial Centre Barcelona Centre Financer Europeu - BCFE Financial Regulatory Authority FRA Casablanca Finance City ISFCOE - International Sustainable Finance Centre of Excellence Green and Sustainable Finance Cluster Germany e.V. SFG - Sustainable Finance Geneva WE ARE GUERNSEY Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA) Capital Markets Malaysia (CMM) FC4S Lagos  Liechtenstein Bankers Association City of London Corporation Finresp (Centro de Finanzas Responsables y Sostenibles de España) Consejo Mexicano de Finanzas Sostenibles  Laboratório de Inovação Financeira (LAB) Kigali International Financial Centre Seoul Metropolitan Government  STOCKHOLM GREEN FINTECH Tokyo Metropolitan Government Swiss Sustainable Finance Jersey Finance Mongolian Sustainable Finance Association Finance Montréal Finance for Tomorrow International Financial Services Centres Authority FinCity.Tokyo (東京国際金融機構) Luxembourg Sustainable Finance Initiative Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI)

If you’re running a company to generate profit, why wouldn’t you want it to be sustainable! If your sustainable profitability can make your world more livable, why wouldn’t you raise and repay finances, just so! And that is why I dream that one day all loans in the world are some way or the other sustainability-linked financing! #greenfinance #greenbonds #sustainablefinance #impactfinancing

🌿 Why is Sustainability-Linked Finance Gaining Momentum? 🌍 🌱 Sustainability-linked finance, pioneered by multilateral development banks, is tailored to reward borrowers for hitting environmental, social, or governance milestones. Since its inception in 2017, this financing model has seen explosive growth, with the IFC - International Finance Corporation (IFC) spearheading efforts to mesh financial incentives with sustainability goals. The popularity of Sustainability-Linked Loans (SLL) is on the rise, even within mainstream commercial banks, sparking borrower curiosity. 💼The Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles (SLLP) were first issued in 2019 and provide a framework which was revised in 2021 to provide a clear delineation between the selection of key performance indicators (KPIs) and the calibration of sustainability performance targets (SPTs). 🏨 In 2022, Singapore’s CapitaLand Ascott Trust teamed up with the IFC to unveil the first sustainability-linked bond in the hospitality industry. Funds raised are set to reduce electricity use by 40.5% across three of CLAS's serviced residences in Southeast Asia by December 31, 2028. One of their conditions was obtaining #edgebuildings certification within the same period. 🥅SLLs have not only increased in volume but also attracted scrutiny on their structure, especially amid concerns around "greenwashing". But by establishing ambitious and impactful targets alongside relevant and clear KPIs, SLLs will continue to align "profits with planet". 📰Read more about the power of loans to reach sustainability targets and much more on the EDGE website: https://ow.ly/U4V850Rwg3r #edgeiseverywhere #greenbuildings #sustainableconstruction #zerocarbon #sustainablehospitality

Our Banking and Finance partners Dion Yu and Angie Chan were quoted by Asian Legal Business in the article titled “A Sustainable Future” exploring Hong Kong’s development into a global sustainable finance hub.   As active players in the ESG finance market, Dion and Angie shared their ESG financing experience, observations on green trends and the Hong Kong government’s role in promoting Hong Kong as a sustainable finance hub, the prospects for sustainable finance in Hong Kong's small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market, and the role of lawyers in alignment with the growth of the sustainable finance market.   Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gwqn-tBq #SustainableFinance #HongKong #GreenTrends

Pleased to meet Chairman of LGT Private Banking, H.S.H Prince Max of Liechtenstein, during his visit to Singapore last week. We had a good discussion on Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Singapore (MSE)’s policies and priorities, and our broader efforts to build up Singapore as a hub for green and sustainable finance. It was interesting to hear about LGT Group’s investments in sustainability and climate solutions, which will help scale viable technologies and business models around the world. #Sustainability #ClimateAction #SustainableFinance #GreenFinance #ImpactInvesting

Green finance is certainly at the forefront of Hong Kong's strategy for future development. To read more about this topic, see the article titled "A Sustainable Future" by Asian Legal Business, in which I am honoured to have been quoted.