Rob Kaplan

Is recycling still the benchmark for how corporates mitigate their environmental impact? Or should we shift our focus to reducing waste intensity as the true north? The public message is clear: support the National Environment Agency’s Bloobin campaign (https://lnkd.in/gQsmxtQX) and help raise Singapore’s overall recycling rate as we #GoGreenSG. But is recycling alone enough to address the broader issue of waste, especially when our resource loop remains open? In a world increasingly constrained by resources, closing the loop is essential. This means designing systems where nothing goes to waste—where the output of one process becomes the input of another. Yet, challenges persist. Oversupply of recyclable materials can drive up the cost of recycling, making it less economically viable. ♻️ Recycling is still essentially a business, influenced by global market dynamics, infrastructure availability, and regulatory complexity. Take paper, for example: 1️⃣ Singapore’s domestic recycling rate hit a 10-year low of 17%, with the steepest drop in paper and cardboard—from 44% in 2019 to 38% in 2020. NEA attributes this to the suspension of door-to-door collection by karang guni and the Cash-for-Trash scheme. https://lnkd.in/gcpKPcMT Singapore oldest recycling firm Tay Paper Recycling was also set to close last year due to financial constraints and low paper prices. https://lnkd.in/g_aM5hPz 2️⃣ Corporate sustainability data transparency remains to be a challenge. While one may receive proof of diversion from incineration or landfill to recycling, but downstream data from Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) or alike across the ASEAN region may tell a different story. The complexity of tracking materials across the value chain remains a challenge. Unlike countries like Sweden, where waste producers bear the full cost of collection and disposal, Singapore’s system sees recyclers paying to collect waste paper. Moreover, current waste removal fees may not be strong enough to shift public behavior. So, is corporate and individual responsibility enough to drive change? Or will it take a moment of resource scarcity—like Japan’s adoption of the Mottainai mindset (adding a 4th R: Respect)—to truly transform our approach? https://lnkd.in/gCVRwySe

12

2 Comments

Thinking again about the last week at #Ecosperity, filled with insights, opportunities and clear drive for Asia in the Climate journey globally. Asia represents a critical region for investment in climate adaptation and resilience given its vulnerability to warming-related impacts that are becoming increasingly severe, Linda-Eling Lee, the Institute’s founding director, underscored at #Ecosperity in Singapore earlier today. The panel discussion explored the unavoidable opportunity in climate adaptation and resilience, and how solutions ranging from drought-resistance technologies to flood-resilient infrastructure are attracting growing interest from private capital. These themes build directly on insights from our latest research, How Adaptation Finance Can Help Asia Withstand a Hotter Future, which maps a $1.8 trillion funding gap in Asia-Pacific A&R — and identifies the projects, sectors, and financial instruments where private investors can meaningfully engage.  http://ms.spr.ly/6049Skqd1    #Adaptation #Resilience #Ecosperity #ClimateFinance 

26

🌊 Collaboration is critical to a Sustainable Blue Economy 🌊 At all UNOC sessions, a resounding theme echoed across governments, development banks, investors, financiers, and conservation experts: collaborative action is the key to scaling the blue economy. 🧩 The Missing Piece: De-risking with Grant Capital Institutions like the Global Environment Facility (GEF) are deploying grant capital not just for traditional conservation, but to blend finance. This unlocks flows from banks, pension funds, and asset managers into ocean finance and supports important de-risking mechanisms. The World Bank coral bond project for example, a results-based instrument backed by GEF, is structured around marine conservation outcomes that support shared risk and drive real impact for ocean ecosystems. 💡 Why This Works: • Risk-sharing: Grant capital absorbs early-stage risk. • Outcome-based funding: Ties returns to real ecological success. • Blended finance: Crowds in concessional & commercial capital. 🌍 Local Knowledge, Global Capital From coral reef insurance in the Pacific to community-led fisheries in the Indian Ocean, the message is clear: solutions must be rooted in local ecosystems and governance, but scaled with global investment. WWF for instance, is building a Blue “Venture Builder” in the South West Indian Ocean to support 100M+ coastal livelihoods — linking micro-enterprises to markets and capital. 🔑 What’s Needed Next? 1. Blue mainstream finance – banks and asset managers aligning capital flows with sustainability. 2. Investment-ready pipelines – aggregating small-scale projects into investable portfolios. 3. Science + finance – tracking biodiversity impact to build investor trust. 4. Policy alignment – national plans and marine protections that reduce regulatory risk. 🤝 It Takes a Village No one actor can do this alone. From local communities to pension funds, co-creation is the only way to mobilize the $175B/year needed for SDG 14. 🌐 our panel today with Amundi Caroline Le Meaux , Global Environment Facility Fred Boltz, WWF Louise Heaps and BNP Paribas CIB illustrated that we can move from innovation to implementation — together. #BlueEconomy #ImpactInvesting #BlendedFinance #SustainableOceans #GEF #WWF #OceanFinance #SDG14 #NaturePositive #CollaborationForImpact #UNOC2025 #UNOC3 #BlueCapital #BlueBonds Blue Bond Accelerator Sarisher Mann

108

4 Comments

I'm pleased to share my most recent Forbes article focusing on how cities around the world are dealing with climate risks. Many thanks to Robert Blake, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia and Senior Managing Director at McLarty Associates and Faris Saeed of Diamond Developers and the SEE Institute for providing their time and insights for the article as well as Vikram Nehru and Hadeel Ahmad for their guidance and support here. Here is the TLDR: 1) For centuries, urban centers have been magnets for people, capital, and innovation. Now, they are on the frontlines of climate adaptation, resilience building and migration, and will be forced to rethink everything from their infrastructure to the fundamentals of urban life. 2) Case study 1: Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, home to over 10 million people, is sinking. Rising sea levels and extensive groundwater extraction has made Jakarta one of the fastest-sinking megacities in the world. Up to 40% of the city can be underwater during the rainy season, and the problem is worsening. Indonesia has embarked on one of the most ambitious urban projects in modern history: relocating its capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, a new city being built on the island of Borneo. 3) Case study 2: In parallel, beyond basic upgrades, we will also likely need to build entirely new cities. Dubai’s Sustainable City, built by entrepreneur and developer Faris Saeed and his company Diamond Developers, offers a proactive model for building climate resilience from the ground up. Saeed’s Sustainable City is a living laboratory for urban sustainability in the desert environment of the United Arab Emirates. 4) And there are many unique cases beyond the UAE and Indonesia. For example, Kiribati, the Pacific Island Nation has enacted the “Migration with Dignity” project wherein it has purchased land in Fiji to potentially relocate its population as sea levels rise. In the EU coastal cities like Rotterdam and Venice have used a range of technologies and infrastructure projects to combat flooding, with the MOSE project one of the more notable attempts globally to use a system of mobile flood barriers to safeguard the city of Venice. In parallel, the Netherlands is also experimenting with floating homes - most notably IJburg. 5) This is about more than deploying solar panels or electric buses; it’s about redesigning the very DNA of urban life. As climate risks mount, the world’s urban centers must become laboratories for resilience, sustainability, and inclusive prosperity. The future of cities—and the people who call them home—depends on it.

42

2 Comments

2026 is already shaping up to be a complex year geopolitically. For blended finance in Asia, however, 2025 closed with good momentum. A few themes to watch in 2026: 1. Country-level platforms Distinct models are taking shape. We’ll outline four platform models in the upcoming UNDP–Convergence blended finance policy framework, launching in April 2026. 2. Adaptation & resilience Momentum is building, particularly around food systems and food security. The key question for 2026 is whether financing structures and pipeline can start closing the persistent funding gap. 3. Concessional guarantees and Insurance Guarantees remain underused in Asia relative to concessional debt and equity. Insurance could play a larger role in the risk toolkit, a topic we’ve explored further in our Playbook on the insurance sectors role in blended finance - https://lnkd.in/ghNvDHhB 4. Sustainable / green bonds Markets continue to deepen, with growing scope for blended bonds to crowd in larger pools of capital. More to come in 2026. Any other topics you feel are important please message/comment would appreciate thoughts on this topic Mei Ling Y., Neil Bose,Convergence Blended Finance

36

1 Comment

Our new report, High-Impact Approaches to Corporate Giving, has been launched at PBCx! https://lnkd.in/gNjHzA_D The role of business in society is evolving. Across Asia and globally, corporate leaders are increasingly blending profit with purpose, whether through mandated CSR in India, long traditions of corporate stewardship in Japan and Korea, or new approaches to stakeholder capitalism elsewhere. Corporate giving is not just about compliance or reputation. Done well, it is a powerful lever to address some of today’s most urgent challenges, from climate resilience to inclusive economic growth. It can create measurable impact for communities and strengthens trust, legitimacy, and long-term value for companies. As I reflect on the many conversations that informed this work, I am struck by how much possibility exists when companies lean into their responsibility as social actors. In a time when traditional aid and public funding face constraints, corporate giving can be a vital bridge. One that, if done well, benefits both communities and companies.

38

5 Comments

In today’s sustainability discussions, we often talk about reducing harm but what if the real goal is to design systems that do endless good? This image (credit: Circular Taiwan) beautifully captures how the SDGs are not just 17 separate goals or a reporting checklist. They’re an interconnected business model linking Governance, Society, Economy, and the Environment in a continuous regenerative cycle. When this cycle is complete, resources return as nutrients to the environment ensuring that progress in one area fuels growth in others. It’s a powerful reminder that sustainability isn’t about ticking boxes; it’s about redefining how we create value. The question we should be asking is: Why do so many organizations still treat the SDGs as compliance, rather than as the blueprint for innovation and competitiveness? It’s time to shift from sustainability as an obligation to sustainability as an opportunity for transformation building economies that do endless good, not just less harm. #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #ESG #SDGs #RegenerativeBusiness #Innovation #Egypt #Leadership #SustainableFinance

88

4 Comments