The Inclusive Climate Finance Dialogue for a Resilient Asia-Pacific, convened by the UNDP Climate Finance Network and UN Capital Development Fund with support from the UK FCDO and Sweden Sida, concluded last week after three days of focused discussions on how to mobilize finance, scale systemic reforms, and deliver resilience for people and communities across the region. 

Key takeaways

• Sustaining momentum requires systems, not one-off projects.

  Participants — including national ministries of finance and planning from Fiji, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines and Tonga — stressed that durable impact comes from institutional reforms that hardwire climate priorities into public finance systems (budget frameworks, debt instruments and Public Finance Management), moving the region from pilots to permanent, scalable tools.

• Fiscal and policy levers unlock new pools of capital.

  Delegates explored how fiscal policy, blended finance and capital-market instruments can be designed to reduce risk and attract private investors. Multilaterals and regional development banks, including the Asian Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund, commercial banks and private investors, such as Mizuho Financial Group and regional commercial banks, discussed practical steps to build bankable pipelines that can channel investment into adaptation and resilience.

• Partnerships are central to closing the gap.

  Cross-sector dialogues involving UN agencies, donors, International Financial Institutions, philanthropy, private-sector partners and civil society focused on aligning incentives, sharing risk, and co-designing investable projects. While the Dialogue did not itself disburse funds, it laid essential groundwork for  bilateral engagements and joint initiatives that partners can now take forward to mobilize new resources.

• Inclusion and local leadership improve outcomes. 

  Sessions with UNCDF, UNDP, private sector and civil society highlighted that directing finance to women, subnational governments and marginalized groups delivers an “inclusion dividend” — improving ownership, execution and the bankability of adaptation interventions. Participants stressed scaling locally led instruments and subnational capacity as key priorities.

• Data, digital tools and locally led implementation are the enablers of faster, more transparent and more accountable climate finance. 

Participants underscored the critical role of reliable climate data, digital public infrastructure and strong Impact Measurement & Management (IMM) — with technical inputs from UNDP data teams and partner think tanks (including Brookings, OECD and other research partners). These tools are vital to build investor confidence and ensure funds reach communities and projects with measurable resilience outcomes.

New initiatives announced at the Dialogue

• Climate Venture Scaler —it will select and support 20 climate ventures with tailored advisory, investment matchmaking and robust IMM. The call for applications opens in October; selected enterprises will receive 12 months of support, initially focused on Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia and prioritizing adaptation-oriented solutions that can attract private capital and align with national climate strategies.
• Gender & Climate Finance Collective —it will mainstream gender into climate finance instruments, programming and monitoring to ensure finance reaches women and other underserved groups.
• ECPFM summary study — UNDP presented key findings from the Effectiveness of Climate-sensitive Public Financial Management (ECPFM) review, highlighting barriers and priority actions to strengthen PFM systems so public finance delivers measurable resilience outcomes.

From exchange to action: cross-sector engagement and next steps

The Dialogue brought together more than 150 participants from 20+ countries, including ministries of finance and planning, international financial institutions, private investors, development partners and civil society.

That mix produced practical peer learning on tools that work, clearer pathways for blended finance, and concrete commitments for bilateral and multilateral follow-up to develop bankable pipelines and joint initiatives. Partners will now pursue concrete next steps from investor outreach to pipeline development to policy reform.

This gathering was not just about exchanging good practices. It helped lay the groundwork for mobilizing resources, strengthening public–private partnerships and creating the conditions for joint initiatives that will continue. The Dialogue connected people, expertise and funding so that finance translates into tangible climate action for communities across the region.

More information & resources
All information, presentations, pictures, and more details are available on the event page: 

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