A decade has passed since most of the jurisdictions united behind the Paris Agreement, setting a collective climate ambition to limit global warming and steer humanity towards a more sustainable future. During its 10th anniversary, GIZ and the World Resources Institute (WRI) co-hosted a subforum themed on “Towards COP30: Financing the Acceleration of Global Climate Action” in Beijing on 22 May 2025, with support from the Climate Investment and Finance Committee of the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences (CIFA).
The subforum was part of the 4th China International Conference on Climate Investment and Finance. It provided over 120 participants with forward-looking ideas and practical strategies through the sharing of insights by 20 speakers from policy regulators, government authorities, multilateral development banks, international and local financial institutions, Chinese and German enterprises, academia, and NGOs.
Mr. Lu Xinming, Deputy Director General of the Department of Climate Change at China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Mr. Martin Hansen, Regional Director of GIZ East Asia; and Ms. Fang Li, Chief Representative of the WRI Beijing Office kicked off the event through their opening remarks.
Session I: Financing robust climate solutions & facilitating the green economy transformation (chaired by Ms. Qi Lan, Team Leader of the Climate Sector Team at GIZ China)
Dr. Hun Kim, Director General of Sectors, Themes and Finance Solutions Department (STF) of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) emphasized the importance of aligning investments with the goals of the Paris Agreement and scaling up finance to address climate change for sustainable development and to funnel investment toward the regions where the needs and opportunities for transformation are greatest. He expected a closer future cooperation between AIIB and GIZ and other development partners as well to unlock synergies by combining financial innovation with technical expertise and on-the-ground implementation experience.
Ms. Xiao Baoling, General Manager from China Energy Group, highlighted the critical role of adopting Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) in China’s decarbonization and net-zero efforts though it remains constrained by technical and financial barriers. She introduced large-scale demonstration projects in Jiangsu and Ningxia Provinces, calling for diversified financing mechanisms and cross-department cooperation.
Mr. Kamran M. Khan, Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa at Deutsche Bank AG, highlighted the untapped business potential in the emerging markets in driving green technology innovation. He also stressed the urgent need for harmonized taxonomies, such as M-CGT, and aligned regulatory standards as well as stronger regional cooperation to scale up sustainable finance globally.
Moderator:
- Janto Hess, Project Director, Sino-German Climate Partnership Project, GIZ China
Panelists (From left to right):
- Wang Junbo, Head of Public Sector Solutions Greater China, Swiss Re China
- Jens Hildebrandt, Vice President, Government Relations Greater China, BASF
- Kamran M. Khan, Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Finance for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Deutsche Bank AG
- Yuan Yuan, SVP of Climate Change, Corporate Sustainability, HSBC Bank China
- Peng Ling (Deputy Director, Corporate Banking Department, Green Finance Center, Huaxia Bank
- Stefan Rau, Principal Urban Development Specialist, ADB Sectors Group, Asian Development Bank
The following panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Janto Hess, Project Director of the Sino-German Climate Partnership Project, focused on the multifaceted enablers of effective climate finance with three key takeaways:
- Strengthening risk management to enhance climate resilience
As climate-related risks grow more severe, financial instruments, such as insurance, play a critical role in risk mitigation and management. Precision risk modeling and climate stress testing are essential tools to improve the resilience of both enterprises and society. Financial institutions are encouraged to integrate them into broader risk control frameworks.
- Improving data transparency to support sound investment decisions
Insufficient data on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures, challenges in tracking supply chain emissions, and limited access to renewable energy are major barriers to corporate transition and green finance. Experts called for enhanced data collection, standardized reporting, and more robust ESG risk assessment models to establish a stronger foundation for effective climate-aligned investments.
- Advancing blended finance and tailored financial services to unlock green growth
Blended finance holds strong potential to mobilize private capital for climate infrastructure yet still faces real-world hurdles such as complexity in design and limited scalability. Meanwhile, financial institutions are encouraged to develop customized financing solutions based on companies’ decarbonization pathways, helping businesses transition while driving high-quality green economic development.
Session II: Enhancing climate financing and sustainable trade to accelerate green growth of the Global South (chaired by Ms. Fu Xiaotian, Director of the Food, Nature, and Sustainable Finance Program at WRI)
Two keynote speakers opened the second session of the subforum, highlighting the need for scaling climate finance and sustainable trade to accelerate green growth in the Global South.
Mr. Tang Dingding, Senior Advisor to WRI and founding Secretary General of the Partnership for Biodiversity Finance, emphasized the role of green trade under mechanisms like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)[1] in supporting South-South cooperation. He identified key challenges such as technology gaps, trade barriers, and fragmented policies while advocating for innovations in digital platforms, carbon certification, and regional green trade agreements.
Mr. Luiz Keppe, Head of Environment and Climate Change at the Brazilian Embassy in China, introduced Brazil’s COP30 priorities and the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), a new initiative aiming to mobilize long-term finance for tropical forest conservation, with a significant portion dedicated to Indigenous and local communities.
[1] RCEP is a free trade agreement between several Asia-Pacific countries.
During the panel discussion, six experts shared practical experiences and policy insights, emphasizing the importance of targeted investment, collaboration, and innovative financial tools. They all agreed that while the Global South holds great potential for low-carbon transformation, overcoming financial, technological, and policy challenges will require stronger international cooperation, smarter trade and finance mechanisms, and better project design.
- Climate finance shall also focus on agriculture and forest protection
Targeted funding and international cooperation can drive sustainable agriculture and forest conservation in the Global South.
- Green trades needs both policy support and digital platforms
Transforming supply chains requires a combination of policy incentives, carbon footprint certification, and digital infrastructure for cross-border trade.
- Green finance tools must be localized and innovated
Developing carbon accounting and green bonds can help bridge funding gaps, but success depends on strong policy alignment and multi-stakeholder cooperation.
Moderator：
- Li Xiaozhen, Sustainable Finance Lead, WRI China
Panelists (From left to right):
- Ariana Guedes, International Affair Advisor, Mato Grosso State, Brazil
- Huang Juzheng, Director, Trade Services Division, Trade Promotion and Communication Center, CCPIT
- Huang Dafei, Executive Managing Director, Fixed Income, CICC
- Li Nan, Senior Manager, Climate Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
- Gu Baihe, Senior Manager, Climate Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
- Gu Xiaoming, Researcher, CECEP Eco-product Development Research Center
Charting the way forward to COP30
The subforum called for the path to COP30 running through deeper collaboration—between sectors, across borders, and among both established and emerging economies. Success hinges on our capacity to turn climate ambition into concrete action through accelerating climate finance, and to turn momentum into measurable outcomes.
