Date: 1 October 2026
Time: 09:00-10:15 BST | 13:30-14:45 New Delhi | 15:00-16:15 Bangkok | 16:00-17:15 Singapore
Co-presented by
Overview
Asia continues to be one of the world’s fastest-growing regions, yet significant social and economic gaps persist. Access to finance remains uneven, particularly for women-owned businesses, SMEs, low-income populations, rural communities and other underserved groups. Many markets also continue to face challenges related to affordable housing, healthcare, education, digital inclusion and job creation.
Against this backdrop, social finance provides an important mechanism to channel capital towards investments that generate measurable social outcomes alongside sustainable financial returns. Social and sustainability bonds, social loans, sustainability-linked financing, risk-sharing facilities and blended finance structures can support critical development priorities whilst broadening financing and investment opportunities.
Financial institutions play a central role in scaling this market. The webinar will discuss how issuers and investors can identify eligible social activities and target populations, apply internationally recognised market principles, including ICMA's Social Bond Principles, strengthen impact measurement and reporting, and address practical implementation challenges.
Drawing on IFC's transaction and market development experience across Asia and ICMA's role in supporting internationally recognised principles and market practices, the session will feature practical case studies and lessons from the field. Examples include IFC’s work with Muangthai Capital in Thailand on a gender-inclusive social bond, the first such bond issued by a non-bank financial institution in the country, and its support for Khan Bank in Mongolia on the country’s first social bond, which channelled capital towards healthcare, education and affordable housing for underserved and rural communities.
Join us to hear practical perspectives from industry experts and market practitioners on how social finance can be scaled across Asia.
Registration for this webinar is now closed.
If you have any questions, please contact ICMA events.
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| 09:00 | Welcome remarks Allen Forlemu, Regional Industry Director, IFC - Financial Institutions Group – Asia & Pacific |
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Presentation: Social finance opportunities in Asia
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| Panel Discussion: Scaling social finance in Asia Moderator: Sedef Gunsur, Capital Markets Lead, IFC - Financial Institutions Group Upstream & Advisory – Asia & Pacific Panellists:
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| Closing remarks Simone Utermarck, Senior Director, Sustainable Finance, ICMA |
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| 10:00 | Webinar close |
