As part of our ongoing initiative to facilitate private sector engagement for financing ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in the Philippines, Earth Security co-convened a Webinar with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) on the Financing and Valuation of Ecosystem-based Adaptation in the Philippines.
The webinar drew upon AIMs recent primer report - The Financial and Economic Case for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the Philippines – and brought together a high-level panel of experts and senior officials to discuss opportunities to finance EbA that banks in the Philippines, and more widely, can take forward into implementation.
The webinar, attended by 120 representatives of banks, private sector companies, local government units and the academic community, provided an overview of existing EbA projects, that have secured private sector finance, to help the banking and finance community appreciate the value of ecosystems and their role in mitigating the risks and negative impacts of climate change through EbA, and contributing to more resilient businesses and communities.
The panel included the following experts and senior officials:
- Felipe O. Calderon - Executive Director, AIM - JBF Center for Sustainable Finance
- Alejandro Litovsky, Chief Executive Officer, Earth Security
- Maria Angela G. Zafra, DBA Adjunct Faculty Ateneo de Davao University
- Wilfred S. Manuela Jr., PhD Associate Professor, Asian Institute of Management
- Paul Lazaro - Senior Vice President, Development Bank of the Philippines
- Jo Ann Eala - Vice President, Bank of the Philippine Islands
- Lyn Javier - Assistant Governor, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
- Alfredo Coro II - Vice Mayor, Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte
The event provided the opportunity for attendees to ask questions and engage with some of the leading experts on integrating EbA into viable sustainability linked lending and further raise awareness of the key messages to a core group of stakeholders. This event continued to build on the progress we have already made and we believe will soon see a range of banks and financial institutions integrate EBA into their sustainable finance policies and guidelines.
This work was generously supported by the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.