On 19 March the GCF Board approved $300 million allocation for the Green Recovery Program under the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility Fund that is being managed by ADB to help Southeast Asia embark on a climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable economic recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.The Program aims to leverage GCF and ADB funds to catalyze financing from development partners and private capital sources to support more than $4 billion worth of green infrastructure projects across the region.

In early 2020, ADB launched its first venture investment platform, ADB Ventures. It’s a venture capital investor with a difference. Like all VC investors, ADB Ventures will pursue commercial returns, but it will target investments in companies and technologies that deliver development impact in emerging markets in Asia and the Pacific.

On 13 September, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Electric Networks of Armenia Closed Joint-Stock Company (ENA) signed a $35 million deal to improve electricity distribution networks to ensure reliable electricity supply in Armenia, particularly in the provinces. The Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP) administered by ADB, provided $15 million to supplement the $20 million loan from ADB.

ADB supports Pakistan’s goal of enhanced energy security through this Program. It's major components are: (i) expanding energy access through the construction of micro-hydro plants and solar power facilities  (ii) opening opportunities for women  (iii) strengthening institutional capacities  and (iv) promoting public sector energy efficiency. 

The ADB Board approved on 29 June the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Power Transmission and Distributions Systems Strengthening Project that will finance the reinforcement and modernization of the power transmission system in Kathmandu Valley, Bharatpur metropolitan area of Chitwan district in Bagmati Province and Pokhara of Kaski district in Gandaki Province. Electricity supply in these areas leaves so much to be desired as outages are becoming more frequent and prolonged.

On 11 February, ADB and the Energy Absolute Public Company Limited signed a $47.62 million green loan that will finance the Nakornsawan Solar and Hanuman Wind power plants and deploy fast and standard chargers at charging stations across Thailand.The country intends to be the regional forerunner in electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from conventional transportation, which currently accounts for around 26% of the country’s total annual emissions.This green loan is the first climate loan in Thailand to be certified by the Climate Bond Initiative, which administers the i

The ADB Board on 11 September approved a loan to improve the transmission and distribution network in Cambodia. The concessional loan in the amount of $127.8 million from ADB’s ordinary capital resources is being supplemented by grants where $4.7 million will be coming from the Strategic Climate Fund under the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program in Low-Income Countries that is providing $4.7 million and $2 million from the Clean Energy Fund under the Clean Energy Financing Partnership Facility. The grant component will finance the pilot of a battery energy storage system (BESS).

BEIJING, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (31 March 2020) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and China Gas Holdings Ltd.

The Board approved on 28 September the $200 million policy-based loan that will strengthen the power sector in Uzbekistan. The Power Sector Reform Program will improve the financial sustainability of the sector, will help create an environment conducive to sustained investments, particularly from the private sector, and improve the regulatory environment that promotes transparency, fairness, and competition.

The Southern Thailand Wind Power and Battery Energy Storage Project were signed on 18 May 2020 marking the first ever such installation to be constructed in the country.