OCBC, the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia, has been at the forefront of driving sustainable finance in the built environment, bridging capital and climate through actionable frameworks.
In collaboration with the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), OCBC recently co-launched the report “Unlocking Capital: Aligning Asia Pacific Green Building Rating Tools for Sustainable Finance.” The publication offers a credit-by-credit analysis of 32 rating tools across 16 certification systems, mapping how these align with the ASEAN Taxonomy’s Technical Screening Criteria and “Do No Significant Harm” principles.
The findings reveal strong alignment between many building-rating frameworks and climate-mitigation objectives, particularly around energy performance, but also highlight important gaps in climate change adaptation, circularity, and embodied-carbon considerations.
For developers, this report offers more than an academic review. It signals where future capital flows may concentrate. As lenders and investors increasingly anchor their green-finance decisions to taxonomies and measurable performance criteria, projects that demonstrate credible alignment will be better positioned for funding.
Why Developers Should Care
1. Financing advantage:
Access to sustainable finance is becoming contingent on how well projects can demonstrate measurable alignment with recognised frameworks and taxonomies. Developers who understand these linkages early can structure projects to qualify for green or transition financing.
2. Competitive positioning:
The report provides a regional view of rating systems, allowing developers to benchmark their chosen certification schemes against those recognised by investors and banks.
3. Strategic foresight:
Understanding the current alignment gaps such as in resilience, biodiversity, and materials impacts helps developers anticipate where the next generation of ESG requirements will likely land.
Questions Developers Can Ask Themselves
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- Does our current rating or certification framework align with recognised sustainable-finance taxonomies (e.g., ASEAN or EU)?
- Can our design and reporting practices demonstrate quantifiable impact across both mitigation and adaptation criteria?
- Are our consultants and financiers aligned on how “green” performance is defined and measured?
- Are we collecting the data today that future lenders and investors will expect tomorrow?
Through strategic financing, advisory support, and collaborative partnerships, OCBC continues to enable businesses to transition with purpose in ways that are financially sound, future-ready, and impactful. Their focus on inclusive, long-term transition finance reflects a commitment to ensuring sustainability remains both accessible and actionable across the region.
“Capital gravitates toward clarity in metrics, frameworks, and impact. Through this collaboration with WorldGBC, we aim to bridge the gap between certification and capital flow, so that sustainable buildings are not only designed well but financed wisely.”
— Benjamin Towell, Executive Director, Global Wholesale Banking Sustainability Office, OCBC
