Spotlight Session: Lessons from the Trenches

Background

PFAN is a global network of climate, clean energy, and finance experts that provide coaching and investment facilitation support to SME companies in the climate and clean energy space to help them structure their projects and raise financing. The session will draw on and highlight a number of lessons learned in the UNEP 2021 Technology Perspectives report, Scaling Up Investment in Climate Technologies, which was published in October 2021, and which included a chapter developed by PFAN based on its 15 years of experience working with SME climate and clean energy projects around the world and helping them to raise financing. In organizing the event, PFAN will seek to work with ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department, as well as with a number of its Network Partners to ensure that a diverse array of experience

Objectives

This session will be designed to share experience with clean energy finance practitioners across Asia, and will include the perspectives of

project developers (seeking investment),
investors and banks (making investments),

The primary objectives of this session are to:

Clearly present the key challenges facing project developers in securing financing for small and medium-sized clean energy projects (< $50 million)
Highlight lessons learned from both successful, and unsuccessful efforts to raise financing – from Asia and globally
Share ideas on how investment into such projects across Asia can be accelerated in order to meet the ambitious climate and clean energy targets set by governments across the region

AGENDA

Time (Manila)	Activities
10:30 a.m.	Welcome Remarks *Peter Storey,* Global Coordination, Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) PFAN experience and lessons learned in the challenge of originating and advising SME clean energy and climate projects Emcee: *Pamli Deka,* South Asia Regional Coordinator, PFAN
10:40 a.m.	Scene Setter *Jugnu Pati,* Investment Specialist, ADB Ventures Lessons learned in identifying and investment in entrepreneurial companies and the area of cleantech and clean energy.
10:50 a.m.	Panel Discussion: Challenges in Scaling up Clean Energy Investment for SMEs in Southeast and South Asia Moderator: *Peter du Pont,* Southeast Asia Regional Coordinator, PFAN Panelists: Clean Energy Project Developers *Jignasa Jani Visaria,* Head of Renewable Capital, Fourth Partner Fourth Partner (India). Scaling up a rooftop solar model. *Mohammad Shoaib,* Head of Corporate Business, Lankabangla Finance (Bangladesh). Green bonds for refinancing energy projects. *Barani Aung,* Managing Director, Techno Hill Engineering (Myanmar). Solar mini-grids. Investors and Banks *Cedric Rimaud,* ASEAN Programme Manager, Climate Bonds Initiative (Singapore). Corporate debt guarantees for SME in Asia. *Rajiv Kumar,* General Manager, Green Climate & Energy Efficiency Center, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) (India). Experience financing energy efficiency and clean energy in SMEs. *Chintan N Shah,* Director (technical), IREDA (India) *Ittiporn Intravisit,* First Vice President, Kasikorn Bank (Thailand) *Azmir Abdullah,* Director, CIMB Bank (Malaysia)
11:55 a.m.	Closing Remarks Nagaraja Rao, Global Head of Quality, PFAN

Speakers

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About the Organizer

The Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) is a global network of climate and clean energy financing experts, which offers free business coaching and investment facilitation to entrepreneurs developing climate and clean energy projects in emerging markets.

Our goals are to build clean energy markets one business at a time, mitigate climate change and mobilise private investment in support of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals. Initiated by the UNFCCC and the Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) in 2006, PFAN is hosted jointly by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP).