Expands Blue-Zone Presence and Calls for Stronger Public–Private Collaboration and SMEs Empowerment

To secure a sustainable future for Asia—and for Taiwan’s high-tech industries—we need coordinated public–private action and targeted support for smaller businesses. ”
— Michael Wen, Executive Vice President of Cathay United Bank

BELEM, BRAZIL, December 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Cathay Financial Holdings (Cathay FHC) has further cemented its position as a leading force in global climate finance, standing as the only Taiwanese financial institution co-hosting a Blue Zone event at COP30. This year, Cathay FHC significantly broadened its engagement by co-hosting the Asia Finance Event with the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC) and the World Climate Foundation (WCF), convening senior international leaders to explore scalable pathways for accelerating climate and transition finance across the Asia-Pacific region.

Representing Cathay FHC at the high-level dialogue, Michael Wen, Executive Vice President of Cathay United Bank (CUB), engaged in deliberations with industry and policy leaders, including Hiroshi Kobayashi of Nissay Asset Management, Valerie Hickey of the World Bank’s Climate Change Group, and Weixiang Wang of Temasek Holdings. Wen highlighted Taiwan’s dual identity as both “Formosa, the beautiful island” and a global semiconductor hub—an industry whose rising energy demand is being reshaped by rapid AI-driven growth.

Wen underscored two priorities essential to Asia’s sustainable transition: stronger public–private collaboration supported by clear and stable policy signals to unlock long-term private capital, and targeted support for SMEs to address their needs in financing, knowledge, and technology.

“To secure a sustainable future for Asia—and for Taiwan’s high-tech industries—we need coordinated public–private action and targeted support for smaller businesses,” Wen said. He emphasized Cathay FHC’s commitment to integrating financing with sustainability advisory services, spanning carbon accounting, decarbonization technologies, and tailored green finance instruments that help businesses advance along credible transition pathways.

Wen also identified nature finance as a rapidly emerging frontier. As biodiversity loss and nature-related risks intensify, he emphasized the need for adaptable financial models that can channel capital toward projects with nature-positive outcomes. Green bonds and green loans, he noted, offer opportunities to earmark funds specifically for initiatives such as green procurement, forest restoration, and wetland conservation. Meanwhile, Sustainability-Linked Loans (SLLs) and Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLBs) can embed nature-related performance targets that reward measurable biodiversity improvements through interest-rate incentives or other benefits.

He pointed to Cathay FHC’s active efforts in this domain, including partnerships with local sustainable-farming experts and the Taiwan University Experimental Forest to develop a science-based biodiversity credit methodology. This methodology aims to quantify ecological value generated through forest restoration, regenerative agriculture, and ecosystem renewal—laying critical groundwork for future biodiversity credit markets and nature-investment models centered on verifiable, science-based outcomes. Wen added that such innovations will help catalyze the next wave of nature finance across Asia and beyond.

Moderated by AIGCC CEO Rebecca Mikula-Wright, the panel showcased the breadth of regional perspectives. Nissay Asset Management’s Hiroshi Kobayashi emphasized the importance of Asia-specific transition-finance frameworks. Temasek’s Weixiang Wang discussed how catalytic blended-finance mechanisms—such as the USD 5 billion Catalytic Transition Fund with ALTÉRRA—can accelerate private-sector investment in emerging markets. The World Bank’s Valerie Hickey called for stronger fiscal planning and capacity-building among local financial institutions and project developers.

Cathay FHC’s sustained presence at major COP gatherings reflects its long-term commitment to advancing climate action. At COP28 in Dubai, Cathay FHC advocated for faster energy transition and Asia-focused climate financing; at COP29 in Azerbaijan, it championed deeper cross-sector collaboration for low-carbon development; and at COP30, it is driving conversations on blended finance and innovative financing mechanisms to support emerging Asian markets.

During COP30, Cathay FHC President C.K. Lee delivered opening remarks at the World Climate Summit (WCS), followed by CUB’s Vice President Michael Wen’s participation in a climate finance panel—reinforcing Cathay FHC’s leadership role in shaping Asia’s climate and nature finance agenda.

Elaine Chen
Cathay Financial Holdings
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