Getting Asia to Net Zero: Financing Asia’s Climate & Development Needs

The Paris Summit for a New Global Financing Pact presents an unprecedented opportunity for global leaders and decision-makers to tackle the pressing challenges to unlocking the finance needed by the developing world. In order to adequately address the global challenges of climate change and development, it is critical not to leave Asia behind. The Asian region is home to over half of the world’s population, many of whom are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Meanwhile, Asia’s share of global emissions continues to grow, with several major emerging economies having yet to peak their emissions. Asian nations also have an opportunity to step up their leadership in 2023: India’s G20 presidency and the UAE’s COP28 presidency are both uniquely positioned to build on and operationalize the Summit’s outcomes.

This discussion with Vivek Pathak, Global Head and Director of Climate Business at the International Finance Corporation, and Emmanuel Guérin, Fellow at European Climate Foundation, aims to shed light on Asia’s unique climate-related challenges and opportunities in the context of global financial architecture reform. The discussion will focus on identifying priority actions for how global financial architecture reform could address Asia’s unique climate and development needs, the implications of research from the High-level Policy Commission on Getting Asia to Net Zero, and the opportunities and challenges for climate finance to concurrently enhance Asia’s economic and social development.

Discussion to be followed by a light reception.

Speakers

Vivek Pathak is International Finance Corporation's Global Head and Director of Climate Business and a member of the High-level Policy Commission on Getting Asia to Net Zero. In his role at IFC, he looks for opportunities and works to mobilize capital needed to move them forward. He also leads business development, guides standard setting and new product design, and connects the dots across the corporation to mainstream the climate lens into all IFC’s business. He believes that the private sector will be key to greening major sectors of national economies – from energy and transport to agriculture and manufacturing – and is committed to helping clients who are working to move the needle on the low-carbon transition in their countries and communities. Prior to his current role, Mr. Pathak was IFC’s Regional Director.

Emmanuel Guérin is a Fellow at the European Climate Foundation (ECF) specializing in the geopolitics of climate, including climate security. He is former Executive Director for International Affairs at ECF, and also served as the Director of the International Climate Politics Hub. Emmanuel has over a decade of experience in climate politics, policies and economics, working in government, think tanks, philanthropy and academia. Before joining the ECF, he worked for the French Foreign Affairs Ministry, as Special Advisor to the Climate Change Ambassador and now ECF CEO Laurence Tubiana, and led the drafting team for the Paris Agreement. He also worked as a consultant for the Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), was Associate Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Director of the Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project, and Director of the Energy and Climate Programme at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations. Emmanuel has taught and researched at Sciences Po, Columbia University, and the London School of Economics.