Convening Private Sector Investment In Climate-Smart Commodity Production In Southeast Asia

Countries in South and Southeast Asia have ambitious goals for transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future, including through increasing sustainable landscapes (SL) management. However, the investment required to achieve these goals far exceeds available public sector resources and international climate funds, requiring the acceleration and scale-up of private investment to keep the region on track. To date, however, there has been limited public-private engagement and coordination to identify opportunities for private investment (both equity and debt finance) aligned with national SL objectives. There have also been limited efforts to identify how governments can improve the enabling environment for the private sector.

The USAID Climate Economic Analysis for Development, Investment, and Resilience (CEADIR) activity designed and implemented a regional activity to accelerate private sector investment aligned with national climate change commitments (i.e., NDCs) and SL objectives for the target countries of Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

CEADIR’s high-level workshops engaged the region’s public and private sector leaders in collaborative identification of key challenges and opportunities to accelerate investment toward SL objectives. CEADIR’s workshops also facilitated development of recommendations on next steps for governments, donors, and development partners to improve the enabling environment for climate-smart investment; identified country-specific needs for increasing private investment and public-private sector coordination for climate-smart agriculture and forestry in Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam; and analyzed selected business models for private sector financing of sustainable landscapes. CEADIR also shared findings from these analyses and workshops with regional and global audiences through peer-learning events to strengthen momentum for implementing recommended actions.

CEADIR created and strengthened networks of public and private sector leaders working together to accelerate investment in sustainable landscapes in Southeast Asia and globally. CEADIR also engaged strategic partner organizations — including USAID Green Invest Asia and FAO — and they are now using the results of CEADIR’s analyses, findings, and recommendations in their work with public and private sector stakeholders on these issues. Longer-term impacts of CEADIR’s support to countries in Southeast and South Asia will emerge as stakeholders continue to implement the actions and recommendations developed in the workshops and in CEADIR’s country-specific analyses. 

The workshop report is available for download below.