Green Invest Asia: Recent Episodes

USAID Green Invest Asia

A monthly podcast that brings you the inside story on sustainable land use investments in Southeast Asia—what’s working, what’s not, and the green areas in between.

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USAID's Senior Climate Finance Advisor, Jacqueline Musiitwa, on the U.S. government's $150 billion climate finance investment goal, and target investment sectors.

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The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) aims to catalyze $150 billion in climate finance by 2030. On the final episode of USAID Green Invest Asia’s monthly podcast on sustainable land use investments in Southeast Asia, USAID's Senior Finance Advisor Jacqueline Musiitwa discusses U.S. strategy to reach these targets through partnerships for nature-based solutions in agriculture and forestry. 

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Full interview with director of investments at New Forests, a global investment manager of nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies, about Tropical Asia Forest Fund, a closed-end fund investing in long-term investment opportunities in sustainable plantation forestry in Southeast Asia.

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We talk to the director of investments at New Forests, a global investment manager of nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies, about Tropical Asia Forest Fund 2, a closed-end fund investing in long-term investment opportunities in sustainable plantation forestry in Southeast Asia.

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This final podcast of 2022 features Lestari Capital's  CEO Michal Zrust on market-based demand for conservation, and how corporates are collectively meeting climate goals through the conservation outcome purchasing mechanism Rimba Collective. Palm oil buyers and processors collectively support long-term, sustainable forest conservation and restoration through this mechanism, which  aims to collect US$1 billion to protect or restore 500,000 hectares of forest, supporting 32,000 individuals in forest communities in Southeast Asia, over 30 years, starting in Indonesia. Lestari Capital overseas these investments, which are channeled to conservation projects; contributions are correlated directly with procurement volumes.

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Preview Green Invest Asia's final 2022 podcast featuring Lestari Capital's  CEO Michal Zrust on market-based demand for conservation, and how corporates are collectively meeting climate goals through the conservation outcome purchasing mechanism Rimba Collective. Palm oil buyers and processors collectively support long-term, sustainable forest conservation and restoration through this mechanism, which aims to protect or restore forests, supporting Southeast Asia's forest communities. Lestari Capital overseas these investments, which are channeled to conservation projects; contributions are correlated directly with procurement volumes.  

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Climate Impact X’s (CIX) commercial director on Voluntary Carbon Market trends for climate-smart agribusiness in Southeast Asia, and how to increase supply of high-quality, transparent carbon credits. 

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Tune in to this preview of Green Invest Asia’s next podcast with The Climate Impact X's (CIX) commercial director Bryan McCann on Voluntary Carbon Market trends for climate smart agribusiness and forestry, opportunities in carbon offsets for both sellers and buyers, needed carbon market improvements, and how CIX is working to scale the carbon market through increased transparency and improved quality of carbon credits. 

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What exactly is gender lens investing? The Global Impact Investing Network's Southeast Asia advisor Maud Savary-Mornet helps define it,  explains the business case for it, focusing on some funds and initiatives trying to tap the multibillion dollar investment opportunity in the female economy, including the 2X Challenge, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and her own efforts launching a fund on gender and climate resilience.

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Preview of podcast with The Global Impact Investment Network’s Southeast Asia advisor Maud Savary-Mornet who analyzes the business case for gender lens investing, faltering progress on SDG5,  and emerging market funds trying to tap a multibillion dollar investment opportunity, like the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s and her own work launching a fund on gender and climate reslience. 

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Green Invest Asia speaks with Livelihoods Funds' vice president of sustainable sourcing Eric Servat about how Livelihoods Funds, a group of impact investment funds, help corporates improve their supply chains, reach climate goals, and scale low-carbon regenerative farming. 

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Trailer for upcoming podcast interview with the director of sustainable sourcing for impact Livelihoods Funds, Eric Servat, who shares the funds' plans to scale investments along with corporates into low-carbon regenerative agriculture. 

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Listen to the full interview with Mizuho Bank's head of agri and retail JY Chow and head of sustainability Ivy Lau, who share the bank's sustainability planning, how they are connecting investees with Japanese green finance, and helping borrowers comply with green finance guidelines. 

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Mizuho Bank’s head of retail and agri, as well as its head of sustainable finance, discuss the bank’s corporate green initiatives, and how the bank helps clients qualify for Japanese investments.

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Nicolas Hayon, Investment Director and Head of Mirova’s division in Singapore, discusses challenges and successes of managing the Land Degradation Neutrality Fund, or LDN Fund, sharing lessons for other funds, as well as insights for those seeking LDN Fund investment. 

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We talk to three investors whose organizations are launching the $200 million Asia Climate-smart Landscape Fund. Iain Henderson, Managing Director of sustainable finance for ADM Capital Group. Shirin Jamshidi, Director of Investments for Asia and Middle East North Africa for the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Mark Koppejan, Program Manager for Rabo Foundation in Asia discuss the ins and outs of how this blended finance fund is coming together. 

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This trailer previews an upcoming interview with ADM Capital, US International Development Finance Corporation and Rabo Foundation about their collaboration on a blended USD $200 million landscape fund in Southeast Asia. 

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Rabobank's head of Sustainable Finance in Asia and capital markets for Southeast Asia and India, Cedric Chaudron, frames major issues/trends for sustainable finance, particularly in agriculture, heading into 2022: growing sustainable debt markets, mainstreaming of ESG,  strong bank appetite for sustainability-linked loans, and increased climate reporting regulations. 

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Trailer for upcoming interview with Cédric Chaudron, Rabobank's Head of Sustainable Finance Asia and head of Capital Markets for Southeast Asia/India, who frames sustainable finance trends going into 2022, and provides updates on Rabobank's investment priorities, engagements and carbon offset initiatives. 

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Michael Schlup joins podcast from Sail Ventures, a boutique investment firm that advises the &Green Fund, to share challenges and opportunities in transition finance for deforestation-free agricultural and forestry commodities. Launched in 2017, the fund aims to catalyze more than 2 billion US dollars in investments to protect, conserve and restore 5 million hectares of tropical forests.

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This trailer for episode #2 on financing forest restoration with Michael Schlup, &Green Fund gives a preview of the full interview, to be released on December 17 and covers how to honor COP26 finance commitments, how the fund weighs investment and climate risks, and its strategy to scale climate mitigation and forest restoration. 

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We speak with Cedric Rimaud, a portfolio manager for First Degree Global Asset Management, and a representative in Southeast Asia for Climate Bonds Initiative, an international investor focused not- for- profit, working to mobilize the $100 trillion dollar bond market for climate change solutions. He joins us from Singapore to discuss how small and medium-sized companies are accessing a growing green bond market, especially for the land use sector.