Leveraging Sustainable and Inclusive Finance to Accelerate Climate Action in Trade

Description

Climate finance, trade and gender are interdependent - marginalized populations are among the most affected by climate change as they are less likely to be able to adapt to climate change. UNFCCC Paris Agreement in 2015 recognized the intersection of climate change and gender equality. Gender is one of the leading lens for advancing inclusiveness on intersectionalities such as people in vulnerability, youth and indigenous people and traditional communities. However, this political commitment remains to be translated into action. The overview of existing climate finance sources and instruments shows that potential co-benefit gains between gender equality, intersectionality and climate action are seldom factored into climate investment decisions.

Objectives

This session aims to explore:

• how the design and implementation of the current mechanisms for financing climate change are taking gender perspectives and intersectionality into account
• what are the key challenges for small businesses when it comes to climate finance
• how sustainable trade can support mobilizing the climate finance advance on gender equality

This session will showcase the small business perspective and examine the issues faced on the journey to sustainability, looking at the inclusive finance and trade solutions that can empower a small business to take climate action.

Target participants

Trade and other policymakers; business support organizations/private sector; MSMEs; multilateral organizations/donor community.

Resource speakers

Moderator

• Vanessa Erogbogbo, Chief, Green and Inclusive Value Chains, International Trade Centre

Panelists

• Ashaki Goodwin, Advisor to the President, Coordinator (Ag.), Regional Cooperation and Integration, Private Sector Division, Caribbean Development Bank
• Bruno Carrasco, Director General, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, ADB
• Georges Sander, Green Climate Fund (GCF)
• Joseph Murabula, Executive Director, Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC)
• Melanie Lawrence, Senior Manager: Guarantees & Specialised Finance, Afreximbank
• Edgar Vasquez Vela, Director of the Global Business and Economics Research Center of the Exporters Association of Peru (CIEN–ADEX)

Agenda

Time	Session	Speakers
1:30 - 1:35 p.m.	Welcome and Opening	Vanessa Erogbogbo, International Trade Centre
1:35 - 2:05 p.m.	Panel Discussion	Bruno Carrasco, ADB Ashaki Goodwin, Caribbean Development Bank Joseph Murabula, KCIC Edgar Vasquez Vela, CIEN–ADEX
2:05 - 2:25 p.m.	Moderated Discussion among panelists and Q&A
2:25 - 2:30 p.m.	Closing	Vanessa Erogbogbo, International Trade Centre

Event organizers / partners

• Caribbean Development Bank
• ADB