Financing growth for a resilient economy

The launch of two flagship UNDP knowledge products developed by UNDP Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam with support from the UNDP Climate Finance Network and funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Together, these reports provide practical insights and policy recommendations to accelerate sustainable finance and strengthen Malaysia's climate resilience.

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Specifically, they highlight the critical role of innovative finance in supporting Malaysia's climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development agenda, while providing practical recommendations for policymakers, financial institutions, investors and development partners.

Malaysia, like other countries in the region, is formalising a National Adaptation Plan (MyNAP) to cope with mounting climate and disaster risks, which disproportionately impact society’s most vulnerable. Despite growing urgency, capital remains sidelined by uncertain revenue models, fragmented pipelines and perceptions of risk.

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This session cuts through the complexity to focus on how to transform adaptation from a policy priority into an investable asset class. Experts will unpack practical approaches and case studies from Asia, including blending public and private finance, deploying guarantees and insurance instruments, and strengthening enabling environments through policy clarity and regulatory reform.

This interactive session, starting with a masterclass on nature and biodiversity, provides in-depth insights into the latest developments in nature-related issues, sustainability trends and evolving nature-related reporting requirements. The session then continues with ‘Nature's Got Talent’ - an immersive simulation that places attendees in the role of a township developer faced with a critical decision: how to create a new development that balances business objectives, community needs and nature conservation.  

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Attendees will evaluate competing development proposals, navigate complex sustainability challenges and debate real-world trade-offs to determine what matters most, putting decision-making skills to the test through friendly competition and lively discussions as we explore the real-world trade-offs behind sustainable development and discover what it looks like in practice.

From floods and supply disruptions to rising input costs and tighter disclosure requirements, climate change is no longer a distant risk for Malaysian SMEs — it is already impacting day-to-day operations and profitability. Yet many SMEs remain underprepared, lacking the clarity and practical guidance needed to respond effectively.

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This hands-on workshop is designed to bridge that gap. It will equip SMEs with actionable tools to identify and quantify climate-related risks within their operations and supply chains, uncover cost-saving and efficiency opportunities, and build resilience into their business models. Participants will also gain practical insights into using risk assessment frameworks and accessing green financing solutions to support their transition—turning climate pressures into a source of competitive advantage.

Board stewardship is being tested by a new convergence of pressures – from geoeconomic fragmentation and trade volatility to accelerating climate risks and rapid technological disruption. For financial institutions in particular, the stakes are higher: boards are not only managing risk, but also directing capital flows that will shape the pace and scale of the transition.

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This session brings together board directors to examine how governance and financial leadership must evolve beyond compliance towards forward-looking, risk-informed decision-making. It will explore how directors should embed sustainability considerations into core strategy, strengthen oversight through better use of data and digital tools, and navigate the implications of technologies such as artificial intelligence on risk identification and capital allocation. The discussion will also address how directors can build alignment with regulators, investors and the public in an increasingly fragmented policy environment.

As sustainability disclosures move from voluntary to mandatory, companies face growing pressure to produce decision-useful, investor-grade data. For palm oil players and their financiers, a key question is how to translate operational sustainability performance into credible, comparable disclosures that build market confidence.

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This fireside chat explores how RSPO’s Principles and Criteria (P&C) can be leveraged as a bridge between on-the-ground certification data and IFRS S1 and S2 reporting requirements. It will unpack how companies can use existing sustainability data to streamline disclosures, strengthen credibility with investors, and demonstrate the financial relevance of sustainability performance. The discussion will also examine what capital markets are looking for, and how aligned, decision-useful reporting can unlock greater trust and access to capital.

Malaysia’s data centre boom – fuelled by surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and digital infrastructure – has positioned the country as a rising regional tech hub. But this growth is riddled with debate: Will data centres’ excessive resource consumption create a new cycle of problems?

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Data centres are highly resource-intensive, placing pressure on energy systems, water supply and land use, while raising questions about whether current infrastructure and policy frameworks can keep pace.

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At the same time, the economic benefits are uneven. While foreign direct investment is accelerating, concerns remain over the depth of local value creation, workforce readiness and whether automation-led growth could widen existing inequalities. This plenary debate will examine whether Malaysia’s data centre boom ultimately strengthens or undermines long-term economic resilience—interrogating the balance between growth, sustainability and inclusive development for a resilient economy.  

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Note: This session is under Chatham House Rule and will be strictly off-the-record and not for media coverage.

The shift from a linear to a circular economy is vital to curb the waste crisis, support economic growth and enhance global competitiveness, with Malaysia producing an estimated 39,000 tonnes of solid waste daily left largely unrecycled. Schemes such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), where producers are held account for a product’s entire lifecycle from production to post-consumer use, will underpin this urgent shift. However, creating the right financial mechanisms to support long-term economies of scale for circularity is key.

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This session will bring together policymakers, subject-matter experts and solution providers to discuss: How will Malaysia’s upcoming Circular Economy Act create the regulatory consistency needed to spur investments in critical infrastructure needs? What are the key technological solutions in waste segregation that need to be prioritised? And how should market mechanisms be positioned to ensure all stakeholders, from producers to informal workers and consumers, benefit equally from circularity?

Transitioning Industrial Clusters (TIC) – geographical hubs where policymakers, industry and project owners are co-located – are emerging as a key pathway to accelerate Malaysia’s decarbonisation. By enabling shared energy systems, common infrastructure and coordinated investment, these clusters can reduce transition costs and unlock scale. Yet in practice, many TICs struggle to move beyond concept, hindered by unclear business models, fragmented governance and limited bankable project pipelines.

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This interactive dialogue convenes policymakers, financiers, industry and ecosystem enablers to examine how financing mechanisms and strategic partnerships can unlock large-scale industrial transformation and shared value. It will examine how blended finance, co-investment structures and portfolio-based approaches can de-risk projects and crowd in private capital, drawing on real-world examples. The session will also focus on how to align stakeholders, structure viable investment cases and move TICs from ambition to execution.  

The ASEAN Power Grid (APG) is moving from vision to execution, as cross-border power trade gains momentum and financing commitments scale up. But greater interconnection brings new complexities. As countries become more reliant on shared infrastructure and imported clean energy, questions around energy security, grid stability and geopolitical risk and conflict are coming into sharper focus.

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This closing plenary brings together regional policymakers, financiers and industry leaders to examine whether a more interconnected grid can also be a more secure one. It will explore what it takes to translate bilateral agreements into operational cross-border trade, address technical and regulatory barriers to grid integration, and design commercially viable structures that can attract sustained investment. The discussion will also explore how to balance national energy priorities with regional cooperation to ensure the APG delivers both resilience and decarbonisation at scale.