Seneca Impact Advisors at the Climate Business Forum: Asia Pacific
On Tuesday, 9 September 2025, during Hong Kong Green Week, Jean-Marc Champagne, Managing Director of Seneca Impact Advisors, participated in the “Nature-Smart Futures: Turning Biodiversity into a Business Opportunity” panel at the Climate Business Forum: Asia Pacific. As the cornerstone event of Hong Kong Green Week, the Forum was jointly organized by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), and held at the Four Seasons Hotel. The session was moderated by Irina Likhachova, Global Lead for Nature Finance at IFC, and featured panelists Ashesh Prasann, Senior Agriculture Economist at the World Bank; Lisa Genasci, Managing Director, Sustainable Finance at ADM Capital; and Surya Valluri, Chief Sustainability Officer at Grasim Industries.
The discussion opened with the moderator setting a dynamic and forward-looking tone, inviting panelists to share both strategic perspectives and practical lessons from their respective sectors. The conversation quickly moved beyond traditional risk mitigation, focusing instead on how nature-smart business models are unlocking new commercial opportunities and reshaping the investment landscape in Asia. Topics ranged from the evolving policy environment and the role of blended finance, to the importance of measurable impact and the need for collaboration between public and private sectors.
Throughout the session, Jean-Marc Champagne shared Seneca’s perspective. He spoke about Seneca’s ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, highlighting how cross-sector partnerships can accelerate the adoption of nature-positive business models. Jean-Marc also shared insights from Seneca’s work in agroforestry and shade-grown coffee, using the Uplao project as a concrete example of how sustainable agriculture can deliver both commercial and environmental benefits. He illustrated how these initiatives have demonstrated that robust risk-adjusted returns, transparent impact metrics, and strong local partnerships can build the confidence needed to mobilize capital at scale. Clear financial structures, third-party verification, and alignment with global sustainability frameworks have all played a role in attracting investment and ensuring project success.
When the discussion turned to scalability and lessons learned, Jean-Marc underscored the importance of trust and transparency with local communities, as well as the need to align commercial incentives with sustainability objectives. He acknowledged that making nature-positive projects fully viable remains a significant challenge, given the complexities and risks involved. To address this, Jean-Marc emphasized that leveraging blended finance to de-risk early-stage projects has been a key factor in achieving both impact and long-term viability. Looking ahead, he shared that Seneca is actively adapting global best practices—such as landscape-scale blended finance platforms and outcome-based payment structures—to accelerate nature-positive investment in Asia. He stressed the importance of patient capital, standardized impact measurement, and community co-ownership as critical elements for driving meaningful change at scale.
The session concluded with a shared recognition among panelists that collaboration, innovation, and long-term commitment are essential to scaling nature-smart business in the region. Jean-Marc’s contributions reflected Seneca Impact Advisors’ ongoing leadership in mobilizing capital for nature and climate solutions across Asia Pacific.
