Truvalu, in collaboration with One to Watch and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, successfully hosted the Access to Green Financing (A2GF) for Enterprises in Bangladesh Insight Exchange and Partnership Forum.
The forum introduced the Access to Green Financing (A2GF) for Enterprises programme, it’s objectives and activities to diverse stakeholders and fostered networking to drive collaborations and partnerships for facilitating green financing for SMEs, according to a statement.
The forum brought together representatives from SMEs, financial institutions, investment firms, development partners, policymakers, and regulators to explore opportunities for financing SMEs for the adoption of green initiatives and climate-friendly technologies and spark insightful discussions on policy innovations and strategic partnerships for unlocking green financing to drive sustainable growth.
Key speakers included Machteld Ooijens, Director of Truvalu; Maria Perdomo, Regional Coordinator for Asia and Pacific at UNCDF; Nurun Nahar, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank and Corinne Henchoz Pignani, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh.
In her opening remarks, Machteld Ooijens emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach involving the government, private sector, SMEs, local and foreign investors, financial institutions, and development organizations. Blending public, private, and philanthropic capital can incentivize climate-smart solutions and de-risking investments can make private investments more attractive.
Maria Perdomo spoke about UNCDF's role in this project which is to work hand in hand with Bangladesh Bank and other government partners to create an enabling environment to de-risk investments that support a green transformation of SMEs. She said “I invite you all to add yourselves to the voices of our partners in this journey: the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, Truvalu and One to Watch. Join us to further mobilize additional flows of capital and crowd in private sector investments for a greener Bangladesh”.
Sharawwat Islam, Managing Director of Truvalu Bangladesh talked about the context of the programme, the key learnings during the first year of the programme and the impact.
And Sadat Mainuddin, Country Project Manager, UNCDF said “the challenges posed by climate change are immense, but so, too, are the opportunities for sustainable growth and development. By working together, we can build a more resilient and prosperous future for Bangladesh. Let us harness the power of green finance to drive innovation, create jobs, and protect our planet”.
Following the presentation, Nurun Nahar, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank, shared “This partnership represents a promising path forward, uniting resources, expertise, and a shared commitment to sustainability. We look forward to continuing this journey together, where Bangladesh Bank remains committed as a policy stakeholder in fostering a sustainable and resilient Bangladesh for generations to come as well as to achieve the SDGs by 2030”.
In her closing remarks, Corinne Henchoz Pignani, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, noted that the involvement of the private sector in climate adaptation and mitigation in Bangladesh is still in its early stages. However, she emphasized that this engagement has the potential to stimulate increased investment in climate-resilient technologies and services across key sectors.