First Green Business Forum: Investing in Asia and the Pacific
22 to 24 November 2016

Philippines

ADB hosted its first Green Business Forum with the aim to:

(i) provide a networking platform to share lessons and knowledge among green business leaders, government officials, and other stakeholders in the region; and

(ii) raise the profile and expand the focus of green investments beyond sustainable infrastructure (i.e., energy, transport, water supply and sanitation, and urban development) to cover new, emerging, and often underserved areas of green business, such as natural capital (i.e., water, land, and forest resources management), biodiversity, sustainable tourism, and sustainable agriculture.

The Forum also sought to highlight the need to continue investing in environmental quality (i.e., water, air, and soil) through pollution control.

Over 350 participants representing governments, the private sector, development agencies, NGOs, and civil society attended the event.

Program and Learning Materials
Session / Activity Title Speaker(s)
Introduction of Forum and GreenTech Connect Welcoming Remarks Ma. Carmela D. Locsin
Introduction - Green Business: Status and Trends Green Business: Status and Trends
An overview of the rationale for stronger private-public collaboration and green business development in Asia and the Pacific is provided in this…
Daniele Ponzi
Opening Plenary - High-Level Round Table Discussion Securing the Future of Green Business in Asia and the Pacific Sharanjit Leyl, Takehiko Nakao, Anwar Hossain, Regina Lopez, Erik Solheim, Madhu Khanna, Daniel Spitzer
Session Video Securing the Future of Green Business in Asia and the Pacific
While there is no universal agreement for what constitutes the concept of green business, it is defined here as profit-oriented activities that…
Satinder Bindra, Maria Carmela Locsin, Daniele Ponzi, Sharanjit Leyl, Takehiko Nakao, Anwar Hossain, Regina Lopez, Erik Solheim, Madhu Khanna, Daniel Spitzer
Plenary 1 - Creating Enabling Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for Green Business Introduction Herath Gunatilake
Plenary 1 - Creating Enabling Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for Green Business Policies for Green Business Complementaries and Synergies Lucy Hurst
Plenary 1 - Creating Enabling Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for Green Business Getting the Policies Right: Prioritization Options Sharanjit Leyl, F. Umiich Sengebau, Karlo Alexei Nograles, Oyun Sanjaasuren, Mark Laska, Sonomi Tanaka, Herath Gunatilake
Session Video Creating Enabling Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for Green Business
Market failures prevent the development of business for environmental goods and services. Creating markets for these goods and services, through…
Lucy Hurst, Sharanjit Leyl, F. Umiich Sengebau, Karlo Alexei Nograles, Oyun Sanjaasuren, Mark Laska, Sonomi Tanaka, Herath Gunatilake
Green Business Marketplace Matthias Gelber
Plenary 2 - Mobilizing Private Sector Finance Power Talk Sharanjit Leyl, Paul Tregidgo
Plenary 2 - Mobilizing Private Sector Finance Upscaling Green Business in Asia and the Pacific through Private Sector Finance Michael Barrow, Atiur Rahman, Christopher Knowles, Assaad Razzouk, Mahua Acharya, Dipal Chandra Barua, Arun Agrawal
Session Video Mobilizing Private Sector Finance
Mobilizing the private sector for green finance still faces many challenges, some of which are largely unique to green projects. This plenary session…
Paul Tregidgo, Sharanjit Leyl, Michael Barrow, Atiur Rahman, Christopher Knowles, Assaad Razzouk, Mahua Acharya, Dipal Chandra Barua, Arun Agrawal
Session / Activity Title Speaker(s)
Plenary 3 - Green Technology and Business Innovation Tata Group Initiatives
Tata Group is committed to embedding sustainability in its business strategies. The company subscribes to the philosophy of circular economy, applies…
Alka Upadhyay
Plenary 3 - Green Technology and Business Innovation The Journey Towards Market Acceptance
Lessons learned that are applicable to the green technology ecosystem as a whole are shared in this presentation. It also includes a discussion on…
Matthew Rajendra
Plenary 3 - Green Technology and Business Innovation Panel Discussion Akmal Siddiq, Alka Upadhyay, Chris Tilaka-Sri Dharmakirti, Priyantha Wijayatunga, David Sundahl, Anthony Halog
Session Video Green Technology and Business Innovation
Consumer demand and purchasing power impacts whether or not niche green businesses and technologies become mainstream. This session features case…
Akmal Siddiq, Alka Upadhyay, Chris Tilaka-Sri Dharmakirti, Priyantha Wijayatunga, Matthew Rajendra, David Sundahl, Anthony Halog
Track 1A - Mitigation Banking How New York City Provides High Quality Unfiltered Drinking Water? Leveraging Regulation and Partnerships
New York City’s drinking water supply system is one of the largest unfiltered water supply in the world. United States Environmental Protection…
Douglas Pabst
Track 1A - Mitigation Banking Drawing From Key Success Factors for Ecosystem Banking: Lessons from the United States
A brief description and history of mitigation banking in the United States is provided in this presentation. It also shares the ten vital ingredients…
Mark Laska
Track 1A - Mitigation Banking Panel Discussion Herath Gunatilake, Douglas Pabst, Mark Laska, Ritesh Kumar, Ary Sudijanto, Eang Sophalleth, Lucy Hurst, Matthias Gelber
Session Video
Track 2A - Business Opportunities in Natural Capital Mountain Hazelnuts and Natural Capital: Preserving Endangered Communities through Sustainable Agriculture
Using the Mountain Hazelnuts Group in Bhutan as a case study, this presentation focuses on the responsibility of multilateral agencies and the need…
Daniel Spitzer
Track 2A - Business Opportunities in Natural Capital Cases of Public-Private-Nonprofit Partnership for Conservation of Critical Natural Capital
The business case for protecting natural capital is discussed in this presentation. Case studies on greening businesses are also featured.
Yasushi Hibi
Track 2A - Business Opportunities in Natural Capital Panel Discussion Bruce Dunn, Paul Tregidgo, Daniel Spitzer, Chaoni Huang, Yasushi Hibi, Agus Purnomo
Session Video Business Opportunities in Natural Capital
Natural capital, defined as a stock of natural resources and ecosystems, is facing extreme threats throughout the world. Apart from stock loss,…
Bruce Dunn, Paul Tregidgo, Daniel Spitzer, Chaoni Huang, Yasushi Hibi, Agus Purnomo
Track 1B - Certification and Labels Ecolabel and Certification
Developed by governments, manufacturers, and third-company organizations, ecolabeling is a voluntary approach to environmental certification…
Sherin Lin
Track 1B - Certification and Labels Forest Stewardship Council: Promote Better Forests via the Power of Certifications and Labels
By providing an internationally recognized global certification scheme, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) ensures responsible management of the world…
June Ng Thompson
Track 1B - Certification and Labels Fisheries Certification
The need for certification and labeling for the sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture is discussed in this presentation. It also…
Geoffrey Muldoon
Track 1B - Certification and Labels Plummy Fashions Limited
The perspective of Plummy Fashion, one of the ten factories worldwide with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum…
Md. Fazlul Hoque
Track 1B - Certification and Labels Panel Discussion Daniele Ponzi, June Ng Thompson, Geoffrey Muldoon, Md. Fazlul Hoque, Madhu Khanna, Sherin Lin
Track 1B - Certification and Labels Certification and Labels
Labelling prevents market failures stemming from the inability to distinguish green products, services, and processes from others. This session…
Daniele Ponzi, June Ng Thompson, Geoffrey Muldoon, Md. Fazlul Hoque, Madhu Khanna, Sherin Lin
Track 2B - Green Bonds: Catalyzing Debt Financing Green Bonds: Where are We? Where Next?
Mobilization of capital markets is essential to facilitate and contribute to the financing of large-scale investments geared towards a 2°C world. In…
Jonathan Drew
Track 2B - Green Bonds: Catalyzing Debt Financing European Investment Bank's Climate Awareness Bonds
After pioneering the world’s first green bonds in 2007, the European Investment Bank has since issued more than €19 billion of climate awareness…
Christopher Knowles
Track 2B - Green Bonds: Catalyzing Debt Financing ADB Green Bond Framework
ADB’s Green Bond Framework defines eligible projects to support developing member countries seeking to adapt to and mitigate the consequences of…
Anthony Ruschpler
Track 2B - Green Bonds: Catalyzing Debt Financing Panel Discussion Noel Peters, Jonathan Drew, Gregory Schneider-Maunoury, Christopher Knowles, Atiur Rahman, Anthony Ruschpler
Session Video Green Bonds: Catalyzing Debt Financing
Green bonds are debt-financing instruments aiming to connect private sector funding with projects that provide positive environmental benefits. This…
Noel Peters, Jonathan Drew, Gregory Schneider-Maunoury, Christopher Knowles, Atiur Rahman, Anthony Ruschpler
Special Session - Green Finance in Action: The Experience of the People's Republic of China Green Finance
The path that the People's Republic of China has taken to design its green financial system is covered in this presentation. It also examines closely…
Shouqing Zhu
Special Session - Green Finance in Action: The Experience of the People's Republic of China Experience Sharing on Equator Principles Implementation and Green Finance: Achieving Competition Advantages through Sustainable Finance
The Industrial Bank in the People’s Republic of China adopted the Equator Principles In October 2008, the first financial institution in the country…
Cheng Feng
Special Session - Green Finance in Action: The Experience of the People's Republic of China Panel Discussion David Boland, Shouqing Zhu, Cheng Feng, Lyu Shaoyang, Chaoni Huang
Session Video Green Finance in Action: The Experience of the People's Republic of China
While rapid economic development in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in recent decades has come at significant cost to the environment, attention…
David Boland, Shouqing Zhu, Cheng Feng, Shaoyang Lyu, Chaoni Huang
Special Session - Scaling up Investments in Green Businesses: What Can Be Done to Support Green Small and Medium Enterprises? EcoLoo: Sustainable Toilet for All
About 2.5 billion people around the world lack access to water, sanitation, and hygiene. Offering people with a safe, hygienic, ergonomic, and…
Zuraina Zaharin
Special Session - Scaling up Investments in Green Businesses: What Can Be Done to Support Green Small and Medium Enterprises? Rubysh: From Rubbish to Ruby
Based in Indonesia, Rubysh Jewelry promotes waste reduction and recycling by upcycling inorganic waste into fashion products. Through the work it…
Risa Gama Siregar
Special Session - Scaling up Investments in Green Businesses: What Can Be Done to Support Green Small and Medium Enterprises? Sustainability of Social Housing in the Philippines: A Holistic Development of Bamboo-based Housing
An overview of Base Bahay, a foundation supporting disaster-resilient housing made from bamboo, is provided in this presentation. It also explains…
Maricen Jalandoni
Special Session - Scaling up Investments in Green Businesses: What Can Be Done to Support Green Small and Medium Enterprises? Panel Discussion Armin Bauer, Zuraina Zaharin, Risa Gama Siregar, Paolo Limcaoco, Alka Upadhyay, Maricen Jalandoni
Session Video Scaling Up Investments in Green Businesses: What Can Be Done to Support Green Small and Medium Enterprises
Today’s green businesses, many of which are start-up companies, face the challenge of scaling their business model. This session discusses the…
Armin Bauer, Zuraina Zaharin, Risa Gama Siregar, Paolo Limcaoco, Alka Upadhyay, Maricen Jalandoni
Session / Activity Title Speaker(s)
Special Session - Youth and Green Business Zahin Hussain, Jerald Tan, Cheryl Lee, Audrey Jalbuena
Special Session - Youth and Green Business Solutions Search Risa Gama Siregar, Zherluck Rodriguez, Dinesh Selvamurthy
Track 3A - Sustainable Farming, Soft Commodities, Agro-Processing, and Food Industry ANJA GmBH
Food systems are a vital component of sustainable development as highlighted in this presentation. The importance of using the One Planet Living…
Marc Buckley
Track 3A - Sustainable Farming, Soft Commodities, Agro-Processing, and Food Industry On-The-Ground Community Engagement: Forest Conservation through Agroforestry
The perspectives on sustainable practices of Asia Pulp and Paper, an Indonesian pulp and paper business, are provided in this presentation. The…
Dewi Bramono
Track 3A - Sustainable Farming, Soft Commodities, Agro-Processing, and Food Industry Panel Discussion Michiko Katagami, Marc Buckley, Dewi Bramono, Pacita Juan, David Conn
Session Video Sustainable Farming, Soft Commodities, Agro-Processing, and Food Industry
From environmental degradation to resource scarcity, the food production industry faces several major challenges. Immense innovation is needed to…
Michiko Katagami, Marc Buckley, Dewi Bramono, Pacita Juan, David Conn
Track 3B - Greening Industry: Improving Resource Use, Reducing Waste Resource Recovery to Green Up Industries in Asia
An overview of waste management in Asia, including trends, common misinterpretations, game changers, and recommendations for improvement is provided…
Pavel Cech
Track 3B - Greening Industry: Improving Resource Use, Reducing Waste Green Infrastructure and Municipal Services
Much waste is generated in municipalities. This presentation shares tips for reducing waste and improving the use of resources to achieve efficiency…
Tatiana Gallego-Lizon
Track 3B - Greening Industry: Improving Resource Use, Reducing Waste Transitioning to Green and Circular Economy for Industrial Sustainability
Creating sustainable value chains and networks is important as highlighted in this presentation. It also stresses the need for formulating systemic…
Anthony Halog
Track 3B - Greening Industry: Improving Resource Use, Reducing Waste Panel Discussion Matthias Gelber, Tatiana Gallego-Lizon, Puan Sri Maimon Arif Patail, Pavel Cech, Tamal Sarkar, Anthony Halog
Session Video Greening Industry: Improving Resource Use, Reducing Waste
Growing volumes of waste are not matched with equal recovery and treatment capacity, especially in developing countries, making waste as one of today…
Matthias Gelber, Tatiana Gallego-Lizon, Puan Sri Maimon Arif Patail, Pavel Cech, Tamal Sarkar, Anthony Halog
Track 3C - Greening the Service Sectors Case Studies from Sri Lanka Hospitality Industry
The concept of greening business operations is important to Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. This presentation discusses the key features of…
Dilshan David
Track 3C - Greening the Service Sectors Drones in Greening the Service Sector
With the ability to collect vast amounts of data across large areas in a cost-effective manner and track changes over time, drones have a huge…
Roderick Ruhl
Track 3C - Greening the Service Sectors Panel Discussion Victor Lee You, Dilshan David, Matthew Rajendra, Lote Lima, Roderick Ruhl
Session Video Greening the Service Sectors
Services sectors contribute significantly to the Asia and Pacific region’s economic growth and have the potential to be one of the main drivers of…
Victor Lee You, Dilshan David, Matthew Rajendra, Lote Lima, Roderick Ruhl
Track 3D - Innovation and Green Business Sustainable Green Fuel Enterprise
The experiences of a sustainable fuel enterprise are shared in this presentation. It also includes a number of lessons that businesses can learn from…
Carlo Figà Talamanca
Track 3D - Innovation and Green Business From Black Baseload to Smart Renewables: Making Kerosene and Coal the Next Kodak
Katerina Kimmorley, co-founder of a solar business in India, argues that innovation must happen in the distribution mechanism to reach the poorest…
Katerina Kimmorley
Track 3D - Innovation and Green Business Disruptive Innovation
Understanding disruptive innovation means taking opportunities that look unattractive to most firms. When confronted with innovation, firms must…
David Sundahl, Efosa Ojomo
Track 3D - Innovation and Green Business Mimosa - Precision Irrigation in Agriculture using Internet of Things Phat Nguyen
Track 3D - Innovation and Green Business Panel Discussion Daniel Ponzi, Carlo Figa Talamanca, Katerina Kimmorley, David Sundahl, Phat Nguyen, Patrick Chan, Simon Baptist
Closing Plenary - Going Beyond Corporate Social Responsibility Closing Remarks Diwakar Gupta
Session Video Going Beyond Corporate Social Responsibility
As part of the increasing global efforts to an environmentally sustainable growth, this closing plenary session features discussions that cover green…
Daniele Ponzi, Diwakar Gupta
Post-Forum Special Session - Investment Opportunities for Nature-Based Tourisms in the Coral Triangle Developing and Promoting Sustainable Nature-Based Tourism in the Coral Triangle
Jointly organized by ADB and the World Wide Fund for Nature, this session discussed investment opportunities in nature-based tourism in the Asia…
Lida Pet-Soede, Jose Felipe Dias Quintas, Alcinda Trawen, Gregory Auta a
Session Video Investment Opportunities for Nature-Based Tourisms in the Coral Triangle
The World Wide Fund for Nature’s Coral Triangle program supports the development of responsible nature-based tourism in six countries, including…
Lida Pet-Soede, Jose Felipe Dias Quintas, Alcinda Trawen, Gregory Auta a, Andrew Parker, Alfredo Perdiguero, Jose Palma

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The views expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.

Event Coordinator/s

  • Daniele Ponzi

ADB Organizer/s

  • Climate Change, Resilience, and Environment Cluster

Topics

  • Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Climate Change
  • Environment
  • Knowledge Management
  • Private Sector