During a recent 39th Chairs’ meeting of the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum hosted by the Financial Services Authority of Indonesia (OJK) focusing on sustainable capital markets, several key actions were taken to enhance sustainability practices in the financial sector. The meeting attendees endorsed the ASEAN Transition Finance Guidance, establishing a common standard for transparent and inclusive transition finance. Additionally, they approved the revised ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard, aligning it with the updated G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance, emphasizing sustainability-related governance.

The State Bank of Pakistan, a SBFN member since 2015, launched its Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) Manual in November 2022. A set of monitoring and evaluation indictors for banks to report ESG performance improvement over time are also launched in conjunction with the Manual

Central Bank of Armenia (CBA), a SBFN member since 2021, unveiled the first national Sustainable Finance Roadmap in October 2023. The Roadmap is a response to growing climate risks facing the country, as well as an existing gap to finance sustainable development. It outlines the CBA’s expectations and planned actions to advance sustainability in the financial sector covering a range of financial market participants, including banks, credit institutions, insurance, and asset managers.

The Bank of Thailand launched Thailand Taxonomy on July 5, 2023. The Taxonomy is a result of Phase 1 of the taxonomy development co-led by the Bank of Thailand and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Thai Bankers Association, an SBFN member since 2012, also contributed to the development.

On May 25, 2023, the Union of Banks of Kyrgyzstan organized the 8th annual Bishkek International Financial Forum (BIFF) with the theme "Technologies, Opportunities, Sustainable Development." The forum aimed to facilitate professional communication, partnership, and growth within the financial sector. Co-organized by the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the event featured speakers from various countries.

The Central Bank of Egypt issued a binding regulation requiring banks to integrate sustainable finance into banks’ credit and investment policies and procedures and to create an independent department for sustainability and sustainable finance.

IFC and IFC-supported Sustainable Banking Network laud the Association of Banks in Cambodia

SBFN welcomes South Africa’s Prudential Authority, which operates within the administration of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB, the central bank of South Africa)

The Financial Superintendence of Colombia launched its Sustainable Finance microsite,

An innovative public-private-academic collaboration to promote sustainable finance