Green Pulse Podcast
Is blended finance the right recipe to speed up climate investments in Asia?
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(From left) Hosts David Fogarty and Audrey Tan discuss how the mix of public, private, and philanthropic money is driving progress on climate action.
ST GRAPHIC: HADYU RAHIM
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Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.
When it comes to climate action, financiers are increasingly turning to the Three Ps to find the cash they need: Public, private and philanthropic money.
With trillions of dollars needed annually to shift the world away from polluting fossil fuels, cash-strapped governments don’t have the financial muscle to do this. Much of the money needs to come from the private sector, with philanthropy providing a much needed boost.
This mix of money from all three, called blended finance, is designed to be cheaper concessional capital. It helps de-risk early-stage investments, especially in developing nations, and helps attract more investors. In 2023, climate blended finance totalled US$18.3 billion, up from about US$6 billion in 2015.
But while the amount is growing, it’s still a fraction of what is needed. Are there positive signs blended finance can be significantly scaled up? And is there a risk only certain types of projects will be attractive candidates for blended finance?
Join Green Pulse hosts Audrey Tan and David Fogarty as they discuss these questions in this episode.
Have a listen and let us know your thoughts!
Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):
1:13 What is blended finance?
5:16 Why is blended finance becoming increasingly talked about?
8:52 What are some of the projects in Asia that could benefit?
10:40 How much money has been flowing into blended finance, especially for climate projects?
13:04 But what are some of the drawbacks – is there a risk that some types of projects will miss out?
18:06 COP30: If a roadmap for US$1.3 trillion in climate finance is sketched out, this could be a big boost.
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Follow David Fogarty on LinkedIn:
Hosts: Audrey Tan () & David Fogarty ()
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong
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