Takeaways

• Cathay Financial Holdings became the only Taiwanese financial institution to co-host a Blue Zone event at COP30, deepening its role in global climate finance.
• The group highlighted the need for stronger public–private collaboration and SME support to scale climate and transition finance across Asia.
• Nature finance and biodiversity-linked instruments emerged as key growth areas in Cathay FHC’s climate strategy.

Cathay Financial Holdings (Cathay FHC) has further strengthened its position as a leader in climate finance by becoming the only Taiwanese financial institution to co-host a Blue Zone event at COP30. At this year’s summit, the group expanded its engagement by co-hosting the Asia Finance Event alongside the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC) and the World Climate Foundation (WCF).

The high-level dialogue brought together senior policymakers, investors, and financial leaders to explore scalable pathways for accelerating climate and transition finance across the Asia-Pacific region. Representing Cathay FHC, Michael Wen, Executive Vice President of Cathay United Bank (CUB), joined discussions with Hiroshi Kobayashi of Nissay Asset Management, Valerie Hickey of the World Bank’s Climate Change Group, and Weixiang Wang of Temasek Holdings.

Wen highlighted Taiwan’s dual identity as “Formosa, the beautiful island” and a global semiconductor hub, noting that the sector’s rising energy demand is being reshaped by rapid AI-driven growth. Against this backdrop, he outlined two priorities critical to Asia’s sustainable transition: Stronger public–private collaboration supported by clear and stable policy signals, and targeted support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

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“To secure a sustainable future for Asia—and for Taiwan’s high-tech industries—we need coordinated public–private action and targeted support for smaller businesses,” Wen said. He added that Cathay FHC is integrating financing with sustainability advisory services, including carbon accounting, decarbonization technologies, and tailored green finance tools to help companies follow credible transition pathways.

Nature finance also featured prominently in the discussion. Wen described it as an emerging frontier as biodiversity loss and nature-related risks intensify across the region. He pointed to green bonds and green loans as ways to channel capital toward forest restoration, wetland conservation, and sustainable procurement. Sustainability-linked loans and bonds, he added, can embed nature-related performance targets that reward measurable biodiversity outcomes.

Cathay FHC is already active in this space through partnerships with local sustainable-farming experts and the Taiwan University Experimental Forest to develop a science-based biodiversity credit methodology. The initiative aims to quantify ecological value from forest restoration, regenerative agriculture, and ecosystem renewal, laying the groundwork for future biodiversity credit markets in Asia.

The panel, moderated by AIGCC CEO Rebecca Mikula-Wright, reflected a range of regional perspectives. Kobayashi stressed the importance of Asia-specific transition finance frameworks, while Wang highlighted blended-finance mechanisms, including a USD 5 billion Catalytic Transition Fund with ALTÉRRA. Hickey called for stronger fiscal planning and capacity-building among local financial institutions.

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Cathay FHC’s presence at COP30 builds on its sustained engagement at previous summits. Following advocacy for Asia-focused climate finance at COP28 and cross-sector collaboration at COP29, the group continues to shape discussions on blended finance and innovative climate solutions for emerging Asian markets.

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Source: 8NEWSNOW