Advertise on podcast: The Asia Climate Finance Podcast

Comments/ideas: [email protected] We explore why simply shutting down coal plants is not a realistic fix for South and Southeast Asia. Elrika Hamdi and Ernst Kuneman from Agora Energiewende explain how reforming rigid Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) can transform legacy coal assets into flexible backup for renewable energy. Professionals in climate finance and energy policy will discover actionable strategies to renegotiate these contracts and unlock grid capacity without destabilising the market. Join us to understand how transition finance can practically fund this crucial shift from baseload coal to clean, resilient power systems.  Ref.: Reforming power purchase agreements for flexible coal power ABOUT ELRIKA: Elrika Hamdi is Southeast Asia Director at Agora Think Tanks, leading regional energy transition strategy. She is an expert in energy policy and finance with nearly 20 years of experience as a researcher, consultant, advisor, and entrepreneur, with deep knowledge of Indonesia’s energy landscape and Southeast Asia’s power markets. She previously served as Deputy Head of the Secretariat for Indonesia’s Just Energy Transition Partnership, leading its Finance and Policy Working Groups and overseeing funding design, implementation, and monitoring. Her career spans IEEFA and advisory roles for UNEP, UNDP, ADB, AFD, USAID, and GIZ, alongside hands‑on work in rural electrification, renewable start‑ups, and advising governments and SOEs on energy finance. ABOUT ERNST: Ernst is a Senior Associate Power System Transformation for Southeast Asia. He drives analytical and strategic initiatives on renewable energy investment, utility business model innovation and power system reform to enable greater integration of renewables. Based in Bangkok, he works closely with national and regional stakeholders to identify market and policy reform opportunities to accelerate the shift towards renewables-based electricity systems.Prior to joining Agora in 2022, Ernst worked at the think tank and consultancy adelphi, where he focussed on electricity markets and carbon pricing in Europe and the Asia-Pacific. He began his career at the Clingendael Institute in The Hague and the International Energy Agency in Paris. Ernst holds a Master’s in International Energy from Sciences Po Paris and an MSc in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam. Documents & Reports Reforming power purchase agreements for flexible coal power: The flagship Agora Energiewende report outlining the 'Repurpose, Reserve, and Retire' framework for transitioning coal fleets in South and Southeast Asia.  Organisations & Initiatives Agora Energiewende: An international energy transition think tank developing scientifically sound solutions for flexible, resilient, and secure power systems.  ADB Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM): The Asian Development Bank's financing model, discussed in relation to the complex early retirement framework of Indonesia's Cirebon-1 coal plant.  Guest Recommendations Changing Planet: A BBC documentary series recommended by Elrika Hamdi. It monitors the impacts of climate change on the Earth's most vulnerable ecosystems over seven years, serving as a powerful reminder of the long-term stakes of our climate actions.  HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] Asia has no shortage of climate ambition. What it still struggles with is turning that ambition into capital. Over the past eight years, Yvonne Huang of Earth & Life Symbio has watched this gap play out, and she's less interested in the ESG deck presented in the boardroom than in what actually changes on the factory floor on Monday morning. In this conversation she explains why green steel is no longer a technology question but a question of who will buy it and at what price, and why reaching net zero means little if we lose clean oceans and healthy soil along the way. For anyone working to make Asia's transition bankable, it's a refreshingly practical listen. Ref.: Earth & Life Symbio (E&L); Green electricity direct connection in China’s steel industry—Policies, economics, and stakeholder incentives; Powering Taiwan’s Future: Financing Energy Sovereignty in the AI Economy ABOUT YVONNE: Yvonne Huang is the Strategy Director & Co-Founder of Earth & Life Symbio (E&L). A seasoned board director, Yvonne sits on multiple charity boards from Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Formerly with CapitaLand, she later became the Lead Representative of GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) in Asia, where she champions the integration of ESG principles across infrastructure and real estate portfolios. Yvonne brings a wealth of multi-sectors, strategic insights and governance expertise to the sustainable investment landscape. RECOMENDATIONS: Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB): An investor-led organisation providing standardized sustainability performance scorecards for real estate and infrastructure portfolios worldwide. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist: A Netflix documentary exploring artificial general intelligence (AGI), its societal risks, and the urgent need for responsible technology governance. Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: A historic landmark agreement signed by global governments establishing actionable targets to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] Why do we act on almost every crisis except climate change? In this episode, Frederic Samama, pioneer of the first low-carbon indices and co-author of the BIS Green Swan report, unpacks the psychology and finance behind our inaction. He walks through real cases, from decarbonising pension portfolios and loyalty shares that reward patient capital, to a green bond fund that crowded private money into emerging market infrastructure with the IFC and World Bank. For anyone working in climate finance, sustainable investment, or green infrastructure across Asia and beyond, this is a sharp, practical look at why financial innovation, not just reporting, is what moves capital where it's needed. Books and titles referenced: The Enigma of Climate Inaction (Frédéric Samama): The guest's own book, which explores why humanity persists with economic and mental models that have become unfit despite mounting evidence they need to change.The Green Swan: Central Banking and Financial Stability in the Age of Climate Change (Bolton, Despres, Pereira da Silva, Samama, Svartzman, BIS, 2020): The report that reframed climate change as a systemic threat to financial stability rather than a reputational issue, and gave central banking the term "green swan". Free to download.Sovereign Wealth Funds and Long-Term Investing (edited by Patrick Bolton, Frédéric Samama and Joseph Stiglitz): The volume Samama co-edited with Stiglitz and Bolton, examining how long-horizon state investors can support sustainable development and financial stability.ABOUT FREDERIC: Frédéric Samama is a Managing Director in the Chief Client Office at S&P Global, covering large European asset managers. He began at J.P. Morgan, then led Corporate Equity Derivatives at Crédit Agricole CIB, where he built the first international leveraged employee share purchase programme. At Amundi he helped establish its leadership in green finance, launching the first mainstream low-carbon equity indices and one of the earliest large-scale green bond funds for emerging market infrastructure. He co-launched the first global investor coalition on portfolio decarbonisation, representing the sector at COP21, and later developed the first IPCC-aligned equity benchmarks at S&P Global. He co-authored The Green Swan and wrote The Enigma of Climate Inaction. Environmental Finance named him its 2026 Personality of the Year. He holds a PhD in Economics from Paris Dauphine–PSL and an MPhil in Philosophy from Panthéon-Sorbonne.  Listener recommendations Images of Earth from space: Samama recommends any photograph of the planet taken from space, echoing the "overview effect" astronauts describe, a jolt of perspective that reveals the Earth's beauty, fragility and uniqueness.Documentaries on the social lives of animals (safari viewing): Samama recommends any book or film about how animals live socially, inspired by his own African safari. The host suggests Sir David Attenborough's work as a natural starting point.HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] Sustainable construction costs under 1% more to build. So why are developers and investors still hesitating? Green building pioneer Armelle Le Bihan joins the show to explain how climate resilience is reshaping property development and bankability across Thailand, Vietnam and Mongolia. That includes a $570 million Green Climate Fund and Asian Development Bank project in Ulaanbaatar. She explains why banks and insurers, not developers, are now driving the shift, and why unprotected assets are becoming uninsurable. She also breaks down what Thailand's Climate Change Act, expected to take effect in 2027, means for anyone financing, building or insuring property in the region. Essential listening for climate finance professionals, lenders, developers and insurers working across Asia's property market. ABOUT ARMELLE. Armelle Le Bihan, is the founder and CEO of Green Building Consulting & Engineering, an award-winning Bangkok-based consultancy conceiving high-performance buildings that improve people's well-being while preserving the planet. An engineer by training specialised in Environmentally Sustainable Design, she saw in green buildings a lever to fight climate change in an industry responsible for 32% of global energy demand and 34% of energy-related carbon emissions. GBCE was founded in 2014 to shift the industry toward a low-carbon model: raising awareness on climate action through public speaking, building capacity and ecosystems that embed sustainability in businesses, and advising project teams and building owners across Asia and Europe on new and existing buildings, from hotels and hospitals to airports and an Olympic stadium. Armelle and GBCE have received multiple awards, including GGEF's Eco Star of Asia, RICS Young Achiever, and BNOW Eco Entrepreneur of the Year, and joined the Eco-Business A-List and Gen T. Leader of Tomorrow List. RECOMENDATIONS: Kiss the Ground: A Netflix documentary about regenerative agriculture, showing how restoring soil health could help stabilise the climate. World Without End: A graphic novel written by Jean-Marc Jancovici, with art by Christophe Blain, that frames the climate crisis as an energy problem before a carbon one. HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] Chan Yau Chong, leading thought-leader and co-founder of Climate Finance Asia, reveals why Hong Kong's solar revolution hasn't scaled and exposes the uncomfortable truth about Asian investors' grip on coal. We unpack the real barriers to Asia's energy transition: from fiduciary duty rhetoric masking climate inaction to the policy gaps holding back coal phase-out across Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Discover how climate finance can accelerate the shift from coal to renewables when institutions finally align investment with genuine impact. REF.: Climate Finance Asia insights and reports.  ABOUT CHAN YAU: Chan Yau co-founded the CarbonCare Innolab (CCIL) in 2014 and is now the Board Advisor. Prior to overseeing CCIL, he served in the Hong Kong Government. He became an Executive Director of Oxfam Hong Kong and a member of the Board of Directors of Oxfam International. Thereafter, he joined the University of Hong Kong as the Director of Student Development for its Centre for Development and Resources for Students. He is the ex-President of the Hong Kong Blind Union and was a member of the Education and Publicity Subcommittee of the Council for Sustainable Development, an advisory committee to the Hong Kong SAR Government on sustainability issues. He was appointed Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1995 for his outstanding service to the Hong Kong civil society and received the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award in 1991. He was also named one of the “Leaders of 2011” by Sing Tao Publishing and an Honorary Fellow by the University of Hong Kong. Recomendations: [Policy Brief May 2026] Accelerating Coal-Fired Power Plant Retirement in Indonesia: From Policy Commitment to Executable Pathways:  A Climate Finance Asia policy brief examining Indonesia's pathway to retiring coal-fired power plants, bridging the gap between government commitments and practical, financially feasible transition strategies.  HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] Is India's net zero push real, or just clever PR? Arun Kumar of Asia Research and Engagement joins the podcast to explain why the greenwashing era is ending and why decarbonisation now wins on cost, not sentiment. We dig into the hard-to-abate sectors, green steel and cement, alongside power, coal, renewables, carbon markets, corporate PPAs and how Indian banks are pricing climate transition risk. Essential listening for anyone in climate finance, energy transition and sustainable investment across India and the wider Asia Pacific. Ref.: Asia Research and Engagement Group, ARE's Asia Transition Platform ABOUT ARUN: Arun Kumar is a Strategic Advisor at Asia Research and Engagement (ARE), a Singapore-headquartered organisation whose collaborative platform connects institutional investors with large listed companies to accelerate the energy transition. His focus spans the highest market-cap companies in hard-to-abate sectors, Power, Cement, Steel and Automobiles, plus Banks and financial institutions. A recognised expert in India's power sector with over 30 years of experience, Arun brings deep expertise across power trading, management consulting and equity research. He has held senior positions at PTC India, HSBC, KPMG and CRISIL, advising investors, policymakers, regulators and corporates on critical aspects of the energy sector. His work spans Asia, the US, Europe and India. Arun holds a Master's in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics and an MBA from IMI Delhi, plus an advanced certification in Cloud Computing, Data Analytics and Blockchain from IIT Madras. Recommendations: Climate Capitalism by Akshat Rathi: A Bloomberg journalist's ground-level account of how clean technologies, from China's electric cars and batteries to solar, wind and green steel, are becoming commercially viable and profitable.  https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/akshat-rathi/climate-capitalism/9781529329957/ Value(s): Building a Better World for All by Mark Carney: The former Bank of England governor and current Canadian Prime Minister argues that finance and markets must be steered by human values rather than price alone.  https://books.google.com/books/about/Value_s.html?id=Jz6XzQEACAAJHOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] Global carmakers are currently hiding a massive 33% carbon gap, effectively operating as oil companies in disguise. Ben Scott from Carbon Tracker joins us to reveal why legacy auto giants face a "Kodak moment" as they lag behind the electric vehicle transition. We explore how China’s EV dominance empowers the Global South to leapfrog fossil fuel dependency for strategic industrial survival. This conversation is essential for those interested in tracking how capital markets will soon reprice these hidden emissions as high-risk energy liabilities. Reference: Oil Companies in Disguise ABOUT BEN: Ben Scott is Head of Energy Demand and leads the automotive research at Carbon Tracker, a financial think-tank working to align capital markets with climate reality. Prior to Carbon Tracker, Ben worked at MUFG Bank in London, where he provided financial and industry analysis on the automotive sector to help manage the bank’s credit exposure and risk appetite. He has also worked directly within the automotive industry at Aston Martin Lagonda. Ben began his career at IHS Markit, where he led the E-Mobility research service, focusing on decarbonisation and emissions legislation. Ben holds a degree in Physics from the University of Leeds. Recommendations: Cleaning Up: A podcast hosted by Michael Liebreich that features insights into the energy transition through interviews with CEOs, politicians, and climate finance experts. LinkCapital in Transition: A podcast series produced by Carbon Tracker that focuses on the financial research and analysis surrounding the global energy transition. Link (Spotify) Link (Apple)There Will Be Blood: A film starring Daniel Day-Lewis that depicts an oil tycoon’s ruthless pursuit of wealth and power. LinkHOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] Summer Bae from Cleantech Group joins us to reveal how the Asia Pacific cleantech market is finally moving from hype to solid business proof. We dive into the "two valleys of death" for hardware startups and the urgent need for catalytic capital to bridge the regional funding gap. We explore how AI accelerates hardware breakthroughs and why the global focus has shifted from net-zero targets to energy security and resilience. Professionals in climate finance and business will gain vital insights into navigating institutional roadblocks and scaling frontier innovation across APAC. Ref.: Cleantech Group, Global Cleantech 100 Report, APAC Cleantech 25 Report,  ABOUT SUMMER. Summer Bae is the Managing Director, APAC at Cleantech Group and is based in Singapore. Prior to Cleantech Group, Summer spent over 10 years at BloombergNEF, where she built partnerships with financial institutions, governments, and corporations to advance sustainable finance and clean technology adoption across the region. She focused on developing strategic relationships with C-suite leaders, particularly in Korea, Japan, and ASEAN. Earlier in her career, Summer held regional sales and planning roles at Datum Alloys, covering markets across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. She began her career at Sumitomo Chemical, where she managed chemical production line operations and was involved in business planning. Summer holds a Bachelor's degree in Asia-Pacific Sociology from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan and earned the Sustainable Investing Certificate from the CFA Institute in 2025. Recommendations:  Nat Bullard Annual Presentation: A data-rich and accessible slide deck that provides a comprehensive summary of global developments in climate, energy, and technology.2026 Cleantech Forum Asia, 2026 Cleantech Forum Europe, 2027 Cleantech Forum North America: Professional networking platforms and international conferences held in three continents to support the commercialisation of new technologies.Company list: #Bloomberg Finance L.P. (BloombergNEF), #Cleantech Group LLC, #Fervo Energy, Inc., #Halcyon (Halcyon Group Holdings LLC), #Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] China's carbon market is already the world's largest, and it's about to get far more complex. Leading market expert Jeff Huang has a front-row seat to what's coming: absolute emissions caps replacing the old intensity targets, carbon auctioning arriving in steel, cement and aluminium, and Hong Kong quietly positioning itself as the trading hub that connects all of it to global markets. If you're watching how carbon pricing shapes capital flows and CBAM compliance, this episode is worth your time. Reference: AEX Holdings. Op-ed sample - Beyond critical mass (China Daily, 16 January 2026) ABOUT JEFF: Jeff Huang is founder & CEO of AEX Markets based in Hong Kong. He is former Managing Director Greater China of the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), VP Asia for Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), and was appointed Chief Advisor for Chongqing Gas Exchange. He’s also founder of AsiaREC Limited, a non-profit carbon standard in Hong Kong. Jeff has more than 10 years of experience in cross-border M&A, Joint Ventures and futures markets in the United States, covering spaces including exchanges, futures companies, financial software infrastructure, etc. Prominent deals he has led include the creation of the Tianjin Climate Exchange (a joint venture between CCX and CNPC/PetroChina), forming a JV for futures brokerage between Citic and Calyon (SocGen) and a fintech acquisition for SunGard. Recommendation: The Great Game by Peter Hopkirk: A gripping historical account of the 19th-century imperial rivalry between the British and Russian empires as they vied for supremacy in Central Asia. HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] In this episode, Tan Chong Yee, Chief Financial Officer of FlyORO Technologies, joins us to unpack the critical logistics and funding mechanisms needed to scale sustainable aviation fuel across the Asia-Pacific region. We explore how innovative distributed blending infrastructure solves last-mile supply chain bottlenecks and helps bend the jet fuel cost curve. Climate finance and business professionals will gain valuable insights into derisking capital execution, navigating fragmented regional policies, and structuring bankable corporate offtake agreements. Tune in to discover how the aviation industry is transforming high-risk climate bets into essential, scalable energy infrastructure.   Ref: FlyORO Technologies Pte Ltd ABOUT CHONG YEE: Tan Chong Yee is the Chief Financial Officer at FlyORO Technologies, bringing over 15 years of corporate finance and leadership experience to high-growth environments. He has a track record of rolling up his sleeves across fundraising, financial planning, and operational scaling, using data to drive real decisions rather than just reports. Chong Yee holds a BEng in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and an MSc in Technopreneurship and Innovation, both from NTU. He is also a Six Sigma Green Belt certified by ASME and an Associate Chartered Valuer and Appraiser under IVAS. RECOMENDATIONS Making Net-Zero Aviation Possible: A McKinsey & Company report that analyses the nature, timing, cost, and commercial scale of actions required to deliver net-zero emissions within the global aviation sector by 2050.The SAF Roadmap: A World Economic Forum and McKinsey & Company publication that outlines cross-sector frameworks and investment pathways needed to break the commercial impasse and scale sustainable aviation fuel adoption by 2030.HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] Cooling is responsible for 15 per cent of global emissions and uses nearly two thirds of the electricity in commercial buildings. In this episode, Sam Ringwaldt from Conry Tech explains how modular micro units can cut cooling energy by 70 per cent and increase asset valuations by 18 per cent. We explore the rise of Comfort as a Service, the next generation of deep‑tech retrofits, and what this means for commercial buildings and AI data centres across the Asia Pacific region. It is a clear and practical look at why energy efficiency is becoming a financial strategy for the climate sector rather than simply an engineering decision. REF: Conry Tech,  ABOUT SAM: Sam Ringwaldt is a Founder and the CEO of Conry Tech. Sam is an experienced industry leader, with 20 years of experience in building up HVAC companies, growing teams, and promoting new HVAC technologies worldwide. Sam was responsible for introducing Turbocor Technology into the North American and Australasian markets, driving its growth till it became today’s dominant HVAC technology, and was able to lead both governments and the private sector to embrace the new technology, adjusting building standards, and driving new frontiers of sustainability and energy efficiency. HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] Our guest is Nana Li, a stewardship expert who's just written a handbook on navigating sustainability across Asia Pacific. She walks us through why the money decisions happening in Asia actually shape global sustainability, not the other way around. We explore how China's state-led approach and Japan's demographic crisis are forcing real innovation in automation and energy transition. You'll get insights into why "guanxi" and energy security matter more than most Western playbooks suggest. If you're working, or are interested, in Asia's climate finance space, there's genuine value here. We clear up the confusion between ESG risk management and impact investing, and why that distinction actually matters when economic growth is the priority. It's a practical and grounded conversation. REF: Navigating Sustainability in Asia: A Practical Guide for Leaders and Investors ABOUT NANA: Nana Li, CFA, is a sustainability and stewardship specialist focused on Asia-Pacific. She advises investors, companies and policymakers on governance, climate and transition strategies, and is an active contributor to global policy and standard-setting initiatives. Nana is a frequent speaker at international conferences and industry forums organised by financial institutions, multilateral organisations and market bodies, and she is regularly invited to contribute to discussions on corporate governance, stewardship and sustainability. In 2024, Nana co-authored Unlocking Corporate Success by the Power of Diversity, the first book to examine gender diversity in Japan from an investor perspective. She is also the author of Navigating Sustainability in Asia: A Practical Guide for Corporate Leaders and Investors, which provides an applied and region-specific perspective on sustainability, governance and stewardship across Asia-Pacific. In 2025, Nana was awarded the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) Excellence in Stewardship Award (the first Asian recipient), recognising her leadership and contributions to stewardship and policy advocacy in Asia. HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] China has emerged as the global clean tech leader through a national mandate for ecological progress and massive investments in solar, wind, and battery technology. Policy expert Christine Loh joins the show to explore China's transition away from coal and Hong Kong’s ambitious push for carbon neutrality by 2050. Listeners will gain vital insights into the future of green finance, including sourcing "deep green" materials like green steel and using climate science for insurance risk assessment. This episode provides an essential guide to the technical innovations and building retrofitting projects currently transforming the climate business landscape in Asia. ABOUT CHRISTINE: Professor Christine Loh, SBS, JP, OBE, Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, is Chief Development Strategist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She served as Under Secretary for the Environment in the HKSAR Government, Special Consultant on the mainland’s ecological civilisation policy, and was twice a Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council. She founded and led the think tank Civic Exchange and has long been active in public policy, establishing multiple non‑profit organisations in environment, equal opportunity, arts, culture and human rights. She sits on the boards of New Forests and Towngas Smart Energy, was Asia Society’s Scholar in Residence (2023-2025), and serves on several advisory and steering bodies. A lawyer by training and former commodities trader, she has taught in the US and published widely. She holds honorary doctorates from the University of Hull and the University of Exeter. HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] ASEAN requires a staggering $280 billion annually to meet its clean energy targets, placing the mobilisation of global capital at the heart of the regional agenda. In this episode, Dinita Setywati and Alnie Demoral, two experts from the energy think tank Ember explain why a modernised power grid is the essential backbone for Southeast Asia’s green transition. You will learn how to de-risk renewable energy projects and evaluate competing financing models from China, Japan, and the US. Discover how better regional coordination and multidisciplinary education can bridge the investment gap to secure Asia’s climate economy. ABOUT DINITA AND ALNIE:  Dr Dinita Setyawati analyses electricity policy across Southeast Asia and promotes the use of clean power in electricity, transportation and industrial sectors. She holds a PhD in Global Environmental Study from Kyoto University of Japan, and a Master’s in Southeast Asian Studies from SOAS, University of London. She is often consulted and has published on topics related to energy justice and sustainable development. She is an author of peer-reviewed publications and a book including State-of-the-Art Indonesia Energy Transition. Alnie Demoral is experienced in energy modeling and policy assessment. She has worked with various national and regional organizations across the Philippines and Southeast Asia to advance sustainable energy development and strengthen energy security through modeling and data-driven analysis. Her work focuses on identifying policy gaps and providing evidence-based recommendations to address them. She holds a Master of Science in Energy Engineering and is currently pursuing her PhD in the same field at the University of the Philippines. RECOMMENDATIONS: From AI to emissions:  Aligning ASEAN’s digital growth with energy  transition goals. A report by Ember on how AI can support power system operation and renewables integration. Sexy Killers. An Indonesian documentary examining the environmental, social, and political impacts of coal mining and coal power investment in Indonesia [Note YouTube erroneously flags the documentary as having inappropriate content]. Dr Dinita Setyawati, State-of-the-Art Indonesia Energy Transition: Empirical Analysis of Energy Programs Acceptance (Springer 2023). A book on Indonesia’s energy and societal transition. Trump & Iran: Strategy or Instability? - Inside America. A TRT World documentary exploring recent US–Iran tensions and their geopolitical implications. Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia, Part One – FRONTLINE. A Frontline PBS documentary series on the history and evolution of US–Iran relations, providing context for current conflicts.[Not available in all countries]  HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Comments/ideas: [email protected] Jo Richardson, head of research at the Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute, explains why the global debt market holds more power over climate transition than the stock market. Of the world’s 100 largest emitters are responsible for 75% of all emissions, but only 30 are listed on the stock market, yet all have debt outstanding. This reality gives fixed income investors unique influence over governments and private companies through the cost of capital. This episode investigates the surge in Catastrophe Bonds and Insurance Linked Securities. These niche instruments areveal what the market actually thinks about physical climate risk. Jo discusses why historical, backward-looking insurance models are failing to account for our current reality and why we are on the brink of an unprecedented financial regime shift. Using real-world examples from California wildfires to World Bank programs in Jamaica and the Philippines, the discussion highlights how pricing tail risk can incentivise adaptation and resilience.  Discover why the bond market is the front line for pricing the future of the climate economy. ABOUT JO: Josephine Richardson is the Head of Research at the Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute (AFII). Based in London, Jo leads the development of AFII’s research, which supports fixed income investors in aligning their portfolios to climate and sustainability goals. Jo joined AFII from JPMorgan where she worked for 18 years in fixed income markets. She has extensive experience trading structured, flow and index credit products, and in the modelling and valuation of derivatives. Jo has an MA Hons Mathematics & Management Studies from Trinity College Cambridge and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Management Accountants. She serves as trustee and advisor to a number of charities and social enterprises in the UK. RECOMMENDATIONS:  The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power: Jo recommends this 850-page, Pulitzer Prize-winning history of the oil and gas industry. It tracks the sector from its discovery in Pennsylvania in 1859 and provides essential context for understanding the role fossil fuels have played in global history. Wild London: A documentary by Sir David Attenborough that showcases the ecosystems existing within the London area. Tree Amble: A podcast focused on the ancient trees of Epping Forest, which Jo suggests as a way for individuals to connect with and appreciate local nature. What the Catastrophe Bond Market Could Be Telling Us About Climate Risk: Joseph Jacobelli recommends Jo’s own report, which provides a deep dive into how "cat bonds" act as a tool for pricing the future of the climate economy. HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.