BDO CEO highlights blue finance at Hong Kong Climate Forum

BDO Unibank Inc. (BDO) President and CEO Nestor V. Tan underscored the importance of blue finance during the recent Climate Business Forum: Asia Pacific.

Co-hosted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the International Finance Corporation, the event focused on innovative financial solutions for climate challenges in the region.

Speaking on the panel “Blue Finance: Opportunities for our Oceans and Water Sources,” Tan shared insights from BDO’s USD100 million Blue Bond initiative, which funds water and wastewater management projects in water-stressed areas of the Philippines.

“Blue financing will work best in a country where many of the utilities are privatized and may be financed by banks. Ours is a modest initiative, but we have been seeing good results and impact,” Tan said, referencing the BDO Blue Bond Impact Report.

Tan emphasized BDO’s commitment to sustainability, saying, “Remaining true to BDO’s sustainability philosophy, we continue to integrate sustainability in everything that we do. We are committed to building a better and greener future for our stakeholders, clients, and employees.”

The Climate Business Forum aimed to address climate financing challenges in the Asia Pacific region, drawing over 400 participants.

The forum included senior decision-makers from global business, finance, sustainable finance, and new climate technologies sectors, focusing on emerging and developing markets in the Asia Pacific.