Fostering Green Finance for Sustainable Development in Asia

Placing the Asian economies onto a sustainable development pathway requires an unprecedented shift in investment away from greenhouse gas, fossil fuel, and natural resource intensive industries towards more resource efficient technologies and business models. The financial sector will have to play a central role in this 'green transformation'. This study discusses the need for greening the financial system and the role of financial governance. It reviews the state of green lending and investment in Asia and provides an overview of green financial governance initiatives across Asia. It also identifies market innovations to increase green finance in Asia, barriers to green investments, and financial policy and highlights priority areas for policy makers.