SEC Launches 2025 Sustainability Week with Capacity-Building Series on Sustainable Finance for Capital Market Players

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officially launched its 2025 Sustainability Week with a capacity-building series on sustainable finance, aimed at deepening awareness and accelerating the adoption of green finance practices among capital market players.

​Responding to stakeholder feedback on the need to broaden understanding and application of sustainable finance frameworks, the SEC kicked off the week with a focused training on the Philippine Sustainable Finance Taxonomy Guidelines (SFTG) at The SEC Headquarters in Makati City on June 23.
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The session, co-organized with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank Group, and the International Finance Corporation, provided a comprehensive overview of taxonomy design and interoperability, and a detailed walkthrough of the SFTG. Using sample use cases, participants also engaged in practical exercises to assess sustainable finance transactions and apply the SFTG in mapping bank investments.

In his opening remarks, SEC Chairperson and CEO Francis Ed. Lim emphasized the importance of integrating sustainability into the core of financial systems: “This training is not just about understanding a new framework. It is about embedding sustainability into the heart of financial practice. The real value of the Philippine SFTG lies in how well we apply it—in structuring financial products, shaping disclosures, guiding investment decisions, and delivering real-world impact.”

A panel discussion moderated by Sustainable Finance Institute Asia CEO Eugene Wong followed, featuring insights from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas ESG Surveillance and Supervision Group Head Rhodora M. Brazil-De Vera; Sustainable Banking Network Asia Coordinator Wei Yuan; and BDO Unibank Inc. Vice President and Head of Sustainability Office Marla G. Alvarez.

On the second day of Sustainability Week, the SEC, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), hosted a capacity-building session on Sustainable Investments for Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFIs). This initiative builds on the findings of the Capacity Assessment of NBFIs to Finance Nature-Based Solutions, conducted under the UNDP-led Accelerating Green and Climate Finance in the Philippines project.

The assessment revealed that nearly half of the surveyed NBFIs fall under the category of “Cautious Practitioners”—entities that have made moderate progress in green finance integration but remain risk-averse and selective in scaling their commitments.

To address this, the panel discussion titled Navigating the Path to Green Finance Success, moderated by SGV & Co. Climate Change and Sustainability Partner Bonar Laureto, identified strategic levers for bridging the financing gap between investors and investees. The discussion focused on unlocking investments in nature-based solutions and encouraging the transition of NBFIs toward more proactive, sustainable finance practices.

Panelists included First Philippine Holdings Corporation Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Agnes De Jesus; ATRAM Asset & Wealth Management Head of Macroeconomics and Sustainability Research Jomar Lacson; ecoCarbon Capital Group Chief Marketing Officer Sophia Ong; Kennemer Eco Solutions Country Manager Jojo Joson; and UNDP Country Economist Mohamed Shahidh.

In his closing remarks, SEC Commissioner McJill Bryant T. Fernandez highlighted the vital role of NBFIs in enabling real economy transformation. “As financial intermediaries and facilitators of investment flows, NBFIs are uniquely positioned to catalyze change—not just in markets, but in the communities and ecosystems that need it most,” he said.

Through these engagements, the SEC reaffirms its commitment to fostering a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient capital market ecosystem in the Philippines.