Nestor V. Tan, President and CEO of BDO Unibank, shares how BDO’s sustainable finance initiatives help drive the country’s transition to a sustainable economy at SGV Knowledge Institute event, “Climate Convergence: Actions toward a Resilient Future.”

At the Climate Convergence Forum, Nestor V. Tan, President and CEO of BDO Unibank, underscored the bank’s crucial role in effectively connecting the increasing supply of capital from the sustainable investment community to meet the rising demand for sustainable financing.

“We remain committed to our sustainability philosophy as we continue to ingrain sustainability in all aspects of the business while transitioning to a low carbon economy,” said Tan.

As a pioneer in sustainable financing, BDO aims to lead by example in promoting sustainability in the financial sector and among its clients.

BDO’s Green Bond and Blue Bond issuances were the first among financial institutions and have set benchmarks in corporate sustainable financing within the country and the broader Southeast Asian region. The Bank’s ASEAN Sustainability Bond issuances have both set records as the largest issuance for any Philippine financial institution or company at P52.7 billion in 2022, and at P63.3 billion in 2024. BDO concluded its third ASEAN Sustainable Bond issuance last July 16, 2024 at P55.7 billion.

Proceeds from BDO’s sustainable financing instruments funded projects spanning renewable energy, green infrastructure, clean transportation, resource efficiency and pollution control, sustainable management of natural resources, sustainable water and waste water management, employment generation, women entrepreneurship, and food security, among other critical areas. These are all projects eligible under the BDO Sustainable Finance Framework for Green, Blue, Sustainable, Social, and Gender financing.

The Climate Convergence: Actions toward a Resilient Future event, organized by SGV & Co.’s Knowledge Institute, sought to deepen understanding of climate risks and their implications to business operations while fostering knowledge exchange to address the challenges posed by the climate crisis. The event also aimed to acknowledge innovative business practices driving resilience and sustainability across industries.