AVPN

GC2025 Insights: Catalysing Asia’s Finance for People and Planet

The keynote delivered by Governor Tat Rashid at AVPN Global 2025 outlined a roadmap for mobilising Asia’s finance to power inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth. He framed the challenge as moving from traditional industrial policy to “industrial co‑creation,” where governments, corporates, financiers, technology providers and communities jointly design ecosystem solutions. Rashid highlighted three structural advantages: the region’s shifting economic gravity, with ASEAN poised to become a $5 trillion economy; a deep pool of long‑term capital, especially Islamic finance that offers patient risk‑sharing mechanisms; and a cultural orientation toward collective responsibility that can be harnessed for impact. Digital innovations—e‑KYC, open‑data protocols, AI‑driven risk models—are already expanding credit access to informal workers. Concrete examples reinforced his points: ASEAN’s per‑capita electricity use sits at 3,500 kWh, far below the 6,000 kWh benchmark, underscoring the need for a greener power grid. Malaysia’s “I‑TAKE” program blended grants, zakat, and training to lift over 9,000 micro‑entrepreneurs into formal markets. New labs such as the Climate Finance Lab and the Greening Value‑Chain initiative illustrate the emerging industrial co‑creation model. The implications are clear: unlocking blended finance at scale can fund climate‑resilient infrastructure, while inclusive digital platforms can channel capital to productive, low‑income enterprises. For investors, Asia’s high savings rate, mature Islamic finance ecosystem, and youthful consumer base present a compelling, high‑impact investment frontier that aligns profit with planetary stewardship.