The UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka has convened the SDG Investment Forum as part of Forward Faster Now | APAC 2026, bringing together senior leaders from across the financial and investment ecosystem to explore how sustainable and transition finance can accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across Asia-Pacific emerging markets.
Held in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI), the invitation-only forum brought together financial institutions, institutional and impact investors, corporates, development finance institutions, regulators, sustainability practitioners and development partners.
The Forum was supported by Principal Corporate Partners Sampath Bank, Hatton National Bank (HNB) and Hayleys PLC, alongside Supporting Corporate Partners Amana Bank and Dialog Axiata PLC, highlighting growing private sector engagement with Sri Lanka’s sustainable finance agenda.
At the centre of the discussions was a critical question for emerging markets: how can countries better position themselves to bridge the intermediation gap and attract the capital required to accelerate sustainable development and deliver on the SDGs?
Discussions highlighted that achieving the SDGs will require more than ambitious targets. Stronger collaboration between capital providers and businesses, credible transition strategies, transparent governance and a pipeline of investable projects will be essential to unlocking private capital at scale.
The Forum opened with addresses by Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Global Compact. Both speakers highlighted the importance of transition finance in supporting resilient and inclusive economic growth across the Asia-Pacific region, while emphasising the role of responsible businesses in advancing sustainable development.
Regional cooperation, blended finance and investor confidence also emerged as key priorities for increasing sustainable investment flows into emerging markets.
Keynote speakers Nathan Fabian, Chief Sustainable Systems Officer at PRI, and Nirnita Talukdar, Asia Pacific Lead at UNEP FI, provided insights into how investors evaluate transition opportunities and how financial institutions are incorporating sustainability considerations into investment and financing decisions.
Their sessions examined the importance of transparency, robust disclosure, fiduciary responsibility and innovative financing mechanisms in directing capital towards climate-resilient and inclusive economies.
The programme subsequently moved into four technical deep dives designed to build progressively on one another. Rebecca Kwee, Associate Director at LeapFrog Investments, began with a case study examining how impact-oriented capital is deployed across emerging Asia and what portfolio companies and local partners need to demonstrate to attract such investment.
Yixi (Wilson) Wei, Investment Manager Assistant and Chief Analyst of ESG at E Fund Management, followed with an investor-focused case study, offering further insight into the criteria used when assessing sustainable investment opportunities.
Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer at City Developments Limited (CDL), then shared the company’s experience in securing transition finance. The segment concluded with a live, closed transaction on local-currency renewable financing in Sri Lanka, presented jointly by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and WindForce PLC.
Prajakta Ajit Chitre, Senior Infrastructure Finance Specialist at IFC, and Rusiri Cooray, CFO of WindForce PLC, presented the transaction from investor and corporate perspectives. Together, the case studies gave participants practical insights into investor expectations, the capabilities domestic institutions need to develop and the process involved in structuring and closing a bankable transition finance transaction.
A Leadership Roundtable followed, bringing investors, financial institutions, corporates and sustainability leaders together for discussions on the barriers preventing greater capital mobilisation across emerging markets.
Participants identified priority actions to strengthen collaboration, improve access to transition finance and accelerate the development of investable projects across Asia-Pacific. The session concluded with participants making individual organisational commitments to advance sustainable finance within their institutions, with progress expected to be monitored through follow-up engagements over the next year.
The Forum also examined several issues shaping the future of sustainable finance, including transition finance instruments, blended finance, sustainable disclosure frameworks, internal carbon pricing and effective sustainability communication amid an evolving global investment landscape.
A major outcome of the Forum was the launch of a one-year Sustainable Finance Implementation Workplan by Sanda Ojiambo. The initiative is intended to turn the Forum’s discussions into practical action through continued technical engagement, capacity building and collaboration among financial institutions, investors and businesses.
The Workplan will support organisations in strengthening their sustainable finance capabilities, improving access to transition finance and embedding internationally aligned sustainable finance practices within their operations.
The SDG Investment Forum forms part of Forward Faster Now | APAC 2026, hosted by the UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka in partnership with the UN Global Compact Asia & Oceania Regional Team and country networks across the region.
By bringing together stakeholders from across the investment ecosystem, the Forum reinforced the view that sustainable finance is not only essential for addressing environmental and social challenges but can also serve as a strategic driver of long-term resilience, competitiveness and inclusive economic growth.
The continued implementation of the Sustainable Finance Implementation Workplan is expected to build on the partnerships established through the Forum and help accelerate the flow of capital needed to support a more sustainable and prosperous Asia-Pacific.
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