Financing the transition: Mobilizing Capital, Shaping Policy, and Leading Global Collaboration for a Sustainable Future

🌍 Financing the Future: Who Leads the Change?

Global sustainable finance flows reached $768 billion in the first half of 2024—just 10% of the annual investment needed for sustainable transformation. The pressing question: Who will drive the systemic change to mobilize capital at scale and accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy?

At a high-level panel hosted by Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week – ADSW, GCFC joined leading experts from key institutions to discuss this challenge:

Panelists:

🎤 Ms. Mercedes Vela Monserrate – CEO, Global Climate Finance Centre, providing a strategic vision on aligning global finance with climate goals.
🎤 Mr. Mahmoud Mohieldin – UN Special Envoy for Financing the 2030 SDGs, advocating for global frameworks to accelerate sustainable development.
🎤 Mr. Mohamed Al Marzooqi – CEO – UAE, HSBC, emphasizing innovative financial mechanisms for emerging markets.
🎤 Ms. Kyung-Ah Park – Head of ESG Investment Management, Temasek, highlighting the power of strategic investments to transform industries.

Key Highlights:
🔷 Temasek emphasized its focus on driving the energy transition through strategic investments in future energy systems and highlighted the critical role of concessional capital in scaling climate innovation and industries.
🔷 HSBC discussed the importance of de-risking mechanisms to enable project-level investments in emerging markets.
🔷 UN Special Envoy stressed the urgency of carbon pricing, carbon credit markets, and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), noting that heavy industries have 12 months to adapt and restructure.

This panel underscored the need for systemic change and collaborative efforts to mobilize the capital required to create a global climate economy.