This webinar highlighted key takeaways from the new ADBI Press book Strengthening Environmental, Social, and Governance Investment Under COVID-19, to be discussed by a coeditor and panel of contributors.

Infrastructure development could provide an important boost to COVID-19 recovery among developing Asian economies but will require financing solutions that address growing constraints on the use of public funds for projects due to the pandemic.

This webinar will inaugurate the new ADBI Voices of Inclusion Speaker Series, aimed at promoting gender inclusion in Asia and the Pacific through knowledge and experience-sharing by influential thinkers. It will feature Chantale Wong, who was recently appointed as the United States Executive Director to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Infrastructure development could provide an important boost to COVID-19 recovery among developing Asian economies but will require financing solutions that address growing constraints on the use of public funds for projects due to the pandemic. New funding sources are particularly vital for tackling the region’s sustainable infrastructure investment gap, which is equal to 2.4% of GDP and includes financing for climate mitigation and adaptation.

Asia has made significant progress in expanding sanitation infrastructure, but challenges remain toward ensuring that sanitation services are environmentally, financially, and technically sustainable. These needs can be addressed via city-wide inclusive sanitation policy and investment strategy that optimizes service delivery and performance.

Investment in businesses with good environmental, social, and governance (ESG) profiles is accelerating amid growing calls for climate action and pressure on firms to adapt. However, ESG practices in Asia and the Pacific are at varying stages of development, prompting regulatory knowledge and best practice-sharing to improve ESG investment across the region.

This webinar highlighted key takeaways from the new Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) - Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute book COVID-19 and Potential for Economic Recovery in the CAREC Region, to be discussed by the coeditors of the book.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform social protection needs in Asia and the Pacific and globally. It has also elevated the importance of social protection reform and the development of emergency safety nets that can protect and support vulnerable groups and help reverse increasing inequality driven by the COVID-19 crisis.

The promotion of energy-efficient, climate-friendly technology is critical to meeting developing Asia’s rapidly increasing demand for cooling while advancing net-zero carbon targets, climate change mitigation under the Paris Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals. However, such breakthroughs will require greater cooling technology knowledge and capacity in the region.