Emerging markets can leapfrog a generation of polluting, expensive technology and infrastructure, creating enormous prosperity as well as tens of millions of new jobs. Yet while some green technologies in emerging markets now cost 30-40% less than more polluting and carbon-intensive technologies, these solutions are not yet widely adopted. What are the top investible opportunities in emerging markets? How can capital be deployed with the emergence of inflection points and the ‘green discount’ across key sectors, and how can green investing support the just transition?

In this session, Leapfrog’s Co-head of Climate Investment Strategy Nakul Zaveri will share new research underscoring the commercial impetus to accelerate a wave of green investment into emerging markets, and unveil the pioneering global impact investment firm’s commitment to catalyse commercially viable green solutions across the built environment, energy, mobility and food sectors.

Current green investments account for only a fraction of the total investment required to deliver a green transition, leaving a significant funding gap. The backdrop of high domestic debt and reduced public funding resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has also left governments bereft of financial muscle to drive such investible opportunities.

Recognising the unique challenges and opportunities inherent in emerging markets, panellists will discuss innovative solutions that businesses, investors and financiers can turn to for yielding sustainable returns on investment while driving sustainable development.

Ocean-based climate solutions have the potential to deliver up to a fifth of the annual greenhouse gas emission reductions as pledged under the Paris Agreement, but ocean-based mitigation seldom features in national climate pledges. Southeast Asia, with its long coastlines and a territorial sea space three times larger than its landmass, could offer opportunities for the development of ocean-based mitigation solutions with significant ecosystem co-benefits. Research seeking to identify and scale ocean-based decarbonisation activities, alongside the development of robust monitoring, reporting and verification methods, is currently ongoing. What can be learnt from current research and pilots that could catalyse ocean-based climate mitigation projects, and spur investor confidence to unlock the ocean as a key pathway to net zero?​

Emerging markets (EMs) are home to 80% of the world’s population, and financing their transition is a key piece to the world’s net zero future. However, while it is estimated that EMs will require $2 trillion annually by 2030 to achieve net zero by 2050, only one-fifth of what is required for this transition is planned. EM risks may deter investors, or deem cost of debt unaffordable for EMs, exacerbating the lack of financing.

In this panel, we discuss innovative ways private sector capital can be crowded in to bridge the funding gap in EMs. What are some green shoot solutions that debt financing platforms have tapped on? How can concessionary capital be creatively deployed to de-risk private capital? From leveraging tailored financial instruments to fostering public-private partnerships in scaling decarbonisation technologies, hear from our esteemed speakers as they outline a roadmap for unleashing the potential of the private sector in driving the green transition across diverse emerging markets – while ensuring that no communities are left behind.

Methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years it reaches the atmosphere and is a critical driver of global temperature rise. Yet, agriculture is the largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions and has contributed to an overall increase in methane in earth’s atmosphere since 2017. Rice, which is a staple in Asian diets, makes up 12% of global methane emissions and is the largest source of methane emissions in Southeast Asia. How can innovation and sound economics reshape smallholder rice farmers’ behaviour to contribute to a lower-carbon, nature-positive food ecosystem?

Soil is vital for food production and the stability of the ecosystem. It supports life and plays a crucial role in driving carbon and nitrogen cycles. Beyond agriculture, soil holds the potential to sequester enormous amounts of carbon dioxide. How can we harness its qualities to power food production and heal our ecosystems?​

Agriculture today has a large impact on the atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere – from accounting for approximately 70% of global freshwater withdrawal, to the use of synthetic fertilisers that are responsible for 2.1% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Left unabated, unsustainable agricultural practices will threaten crop yield and global food supply resilience. How can we use science and technology to redesign agriculture to be more sustainable and nature-positive?

Hear from experts in the agri-food sector on how they are redefining their respective core businesses to mitigate carbon emissions and protect nature, while remaining economically viable for farming communities.

Co-authored by Rabobank, PwC, Temasek and Terrascope, and launched in October 2023 at the Singapore International Agri-Food Week, the 2023 Asia Food Challenge Report highlights the potential that Asia’s agri-food can play in reducing global carbon emissions with the urgent implementation of decarbonisation practises and technologies suited for the region. This edition examines key problem areas within the sector, and the various reachable and existing solutions that can be implemented to decarbonise its value chain while increasing food production and improving livelihoods.

This session will deep dive into the report’s key insights: What are the critical nodes in Asia’s agri-food system for closing the emissions gap, and consequently the actionable opportunities for stakeholders across the value chain?

Globally, the agri-food system accounts for more than a third of total carbon equivalent emissions, of which Asia contributes 42%. While agri-food is approximately 26% of emissions in Asia, below the global average, it is a particularly significant source of emissions in Southeast and South Asia, accounting for 50% and 45% of all emissions respectively.

Asia’s agri-food systems differ significantly from their European and North American counterparts, including but not limited to the type of crops cultivated, farming methods, and prevailing cultural practices. Of these differences, the most prominent is the high proportion of smallholder farmers; it is estimated that two-thirds of the world’s 600 million smallholder farmers reside in Asia. Consequently, supporting and engaging smallholder farmers, as well as addressing the fragmented supply chain is a critical piece of the puzzle to the decarbonisation strategy in Asia’s agri-food system.

How can countries shape effective policies to support and protect smallholder farmers while ensuring sustainable food supply for the masses? How can businesses enable and incentivise smallholder farmers to adopt and scale the identified opportunities for decarbonisation? What are the investable trends in the Asia agri-food system in the coming decades?