Mobilizing private sector capital was essential to narrowing the multitrillion-dollar financing gap for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific—a gap that public funds alone could not fill. In line with its Strategy 2030, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had made private sector development a core institutional priority. Since 2022, ADB had more than doubled its non-sovereign operations and aimed to achieve $13 billion in annual private investments by 2030, including $4.5 billion in direct private capital mobilization.

In Southeast Asia, where rapid economic growth and urbanization had continued to shape the region’s development trajectory, private capital played a vital role in driving sustainable growth and strengthening resilience across sectors such as clean energy, digital infrastructure, transport, and urban development. ADB estimated that ASEAN would need between $184 billion and $210 billion annually to meet its 2030 infrastructure and climate goals. With limited public financing, closing this gap required innovative financial mechanisms—supported by sound policy, regional collaboration, and blended finance solutions—to attract and sustain private investment at scale.

The webinar explored how ADB translated its ambition into action through case studies demonstrating how it strengthened private sector development and capital mobilization across Southeast Asia. Discussions highlighted how ADB’s lending, guarantees, transaction advisory services, and technical assistance helped create enabling environments for investment, while showcasing opportunities for governments and project sponsors to leverage ADB’s full toolkit—from upstream policy support to risk-mitigation instruments.

The event was organized by the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF) in collaboration with ADB’s Private Sector Development Department and hosted by the Southeast Asia Development Solutions (SEADS) platform. ACGF, an initiative of the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund jointly owned by ASEAN governments and ADB and managed by ADB, helped Southeast Asian governments prepare and finance green infrastructure projects that advanced sustainability and climate resilience.