As a pre-conference event, the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc., together with the UNEP EmPower Programme, and the UNEP Finance Initiative, organized an Orientation on ESG and Sustainable Finance titled “Beyond Compliance: Empowering Financial Institutions to Lead the ESG Transition” on July 29, 2025 at the Century Park Hotel, Manila.
The session was led by Ayako Sakamoto, UNEP Associate Expert on Climate Finance and Umang Vats, UNEP Finance Initiative APAC Regional Analyst and India SPOC. The discussion highlighted the latest trends and insights on global and regional ESG landscape, emphasizing both the challenges and opportunities for financial institutions in the Philippines. It also tackled how financial institutions can integrate ESG considerations into governance, risk management, and product development processes to deliver long-term value, contribute to inclusive, low-carbon growth, and align with emerging global sustainability reporting standards.
A total of 106 participants from 32 institutions, composed of heads, management officers and staff, compliance and operations officers, attended the orientation.