Unlocking Capital for Sustainability 2025: Hong Kong
On 27 March 2025, Seneca Impact Advisors had the privilege of participating in the Unlocking Capital for Sustainability 2025 event, held at the Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel. This impactful event, hosted by Eco-Business and the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), brought together key decision-makers from finance, business, government, and civil society to discuss and commit to actionable initiatives that mobilize capital markets for sustainable development.
Plenary Debate: This House Believes Regulation is Needed to Drive Biodiversity Financing in Asia
One of the event’s highlights was the plenary debate titled “This house believes regulation is needed to drive biodiversity financing in Asia.” This session featured high-level discussions on whether regulation or market forces are more effective in addressing Asia’s biodiversity funding gap. The debate explored strategies for leveraging capital markets to meet the US$700 billion annual biodiversity funding deficit by 2030 and the policies needed to align financial flows with biodiversity conservation goals
Jean-Marc Champagne, Managing Director of Seneca Impact Advisors participated, bringing his expertise in innovative financial solutions for nature-based projects. He was joined by fellow debate members Renee Song, Executive Director of Investor Relations at Primavera Capital, Alexandra Tracy, President of Hoi Ping Ventures, and Ben Ridley, Partner at ERM. The debate was moderated by Gabriel Wilson-Otto, Head of Sustainable Investing Strategy at Fidelity International.
Key Points from the Debate
Jean-Marc emphasized the necessity of regulation in driving biodiversity financing in Asia. He highlighted the urgent need to address the biodiversity funding gap and ensure nature-positive financial outcomes. Jean-Marc’s key arguments included:
- Ensuring Accountability: Regulation provides a framework for accountability, ensuring that financial institutions and corporations adhere to biodiversity conservation standards. Without regulation, there is a risk of greenwashing, where companies may claim to be environmentally friendly without making substantial contributions to biodiversity conservation.
- Creating a Level Playing Field: Regulation helps create a level playing field for all market participants, encouraging more businesses to adopt sustainable practices and invest in nature-positive initiatives.
- Mobilizing Capital: Regulatory measures can incentivize the mobilization of capital towards biodiversity financing through tax incentives, subsidies, and grants.
- Preventing Market Failures: Market-based approaches alone may not address the systemic changes needed to reverse biodiversity loss. Regulation can help prevent market failures by setting clear guidelines and standards for biodiversity financing.
- Addressing Vested Interests: Regulation is necessary to counteract the influence of vested interests that may prioritize short-term profits over long-term sustainability. Without regulation, powerful entities may continue to exploit natural resources without regard for environmental consequences, undermining efforts to achieve biodiversity conservation goals.
Jean-Marc also highlighted successful examples of regulation-driven biodiversity financing, such as Australia’s Biodiversity Banking and Offsets Scheme (BioBanking) and Costa Rica’s Payment for Environmental Services (PES) Program. These case studies demonstrated how regulatory frameworks have led to significant biodiversity gains and positive environmental outcomes.
The plenary debate underscored the importance of regulation in driving biodiversity financing in Asia, emphasizing the need for clear guidelines and incentives to mobilize capital for sustainable development. By fostering collaboration between various sectors, the session aimed to create a roadmap for achieving biodiversity conservation goals and ensuring a sustainable future for the region.
Overall, the Unlocking Capital for Sustainability 2025 event was a resounding success, providing a platform for meaningful discussions and actionable commitments towards sustainable development. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Eco-Business and UNEP FI for the invitation and for organizing such an impactful event.
27 March 2025 | Eco-Business and UNEP FI | Events – Participant | Hong Kong SAR, China
