The United Nations Global Compact Network Sri Lanka convened the SDG Investment Forum as part of Forward Faster Now | APAC 2026, bringing together senior regional stakeholders to explore ways of accelerating sustainable and transition finance across emerging markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

Held as a high-level Technical Deep Dive and Leadership Roundtable, the forum brought together representatives from the financial sector, institutional and impact investment communities, corporates, development finance institutions, regulators, sustainability organisations and development partners. The event focused on strengthening the role of finance in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The forum was organised 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 initiative received strong private-sector backing, with Sampath Bank, Hatton National Bank (HNB) and Hayleys PLC serving as Principal Corporate Partners, while Amana Bank and Dialog Axiata PLC supported the forum as Supporting Corporate Partners.

Strengthening Sustainable Investment in Emerging Markets

A central focus of the forum was how emerging markets can better position themselves to attract the capital required to accelerate sustainable development and achieve the SDGs.

Discussions highlighted that sustainable development requires more than policy ambition. Participants emphasised the importance of stronger cooperation between businesses and capital providers, credible transition strategies, transparent governance and the development of investable projects capable of attracting private capital at scale.

The event commenced with addresses from Hon. Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the UN Global Compact. Both highlighted the importance of transition finance in supporting resilient and inclusive economic growth while underscoring the role of responsible businesses in advancing sustainable development.

The discussions also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation, blended finance mechanisms and stronger investor confidence in unlocking greater flows of sustainable investment into emerging markets.

Global and Regional Investment Perspectives

Keynote presentations by Nathan Fabian, Chief Sustainable Systems Officer at the Principles for Responsible Investment, and Nirnita Talukdar, Asia Pacific Lead at UNEP FI, provided insights into how investors assess transition opportunities and how financial institutions are integrating sustainability considerations into investment and financing decisions.

The sessions examined the importance of transparency, effective disclosure, fiduciary responsibility and innovative financing mechanisms in directing capital towards climate-resilient and inclusive economies.

The programme subsequently moved into four interconnected technical deep-dive sessions, providing practical perspectives from investors, corporations and financial institutions.

Rebecca Kwee, Associate Director at LeapFrog Investments, presented a case study on deploying impact-oriented capital in emerging Asia, including the requirements companies and local partners must meet to attract such investment.

This was followed by an investor-focused case study from Yixi (Wilson) Wei, Investment Manager Assistant and Chief Analyst of ESG at E Fund Management.

Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer at City Developments Limited (CDL), then shared insights into the company’s experience in securing transition finance.

The technical sessions concluded with a live case study on local-currency renewable financing in Sri Lanka. The transaction was presented from both the investor and corporate perspectives by Prajakta Ajit Chitre, Senior Infrastructure Finance Specialist at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Rusiri Cooray, Chief Financial Officer of WindForce PLC.

Together, the case studies offered participants practical insight into investor expectations, institutional requirements and the development of bankable transition-finance transactions.

Leadership Roundtable Focuses on Unlocking Capital

A Leadership Roundtable followed the technical sessions, bringing together investors, financial institutions, corporates and sustainability leaders to examine the barriers limiting greater capital mobilisation across emerging markets.

Participants identified priority areas for action, including strengthening collaboration, improving access to transition finance and developing a stronger pipeline of investable projects across the Asia-Pacific region.

The session concluded with participating organisations making individual commitments to advance sustainable finance initiatives within their respective institutions. Progress on these commitments is expected to be followed up through engagements over the coming year.

Key themes discussed throughout the forum included transition-finance instruments, blended finance, sustainable disclosure frameworks, internal carbon pricing and effective communication of sustainability strategies in an evolving global investment environment.

The discussions reinforced the importance of stronger partnerships among investors, businesses, policymakers and development institutions in mobilising the scale of capital required to achieve sustainable development objectives.

One-Year Sustainable Finance Implementation Workplan Launched

A key outcome of the forum was the launch of a one-year Sustainable Finance Implementation Workplan, unveiled by Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the UN Global Compact.

The workplan is designed to convert the dialogue generated through the forum into practical action through continued technical engagement, capacity building and collaboration among financial institutions, investors and businesses.

It will support participating organisations in strengthening their sustainable finance capabilities, improving access to transition finance and adopting internationally aligned sustainable finance practices.

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 UN Global Compact Country Networks across the region.

By bringing together stakeholders from across the investment ecosystem, the forum reinforced the growing importance of sustainable finance as both a tool for addressing environmental and social challenges and a strategic driver of long-term economic resilience, competitiveness and inclusive growth.

The partnerships and commitments established through the forum, supported by the one-year Sustainable Finance Implementation Workplan, are expected to contribute to greater mobilisation of capital towards sustainable development and strengthen the Asia-Pacific region’s transition towards a more resilient and inclusive economy.