Maybank, IIF forum focuses on financing Asean's energy transition

L-R: Syed Ahmad Taufik Albar, Group CEO, Community Financial Services, Maybank; Datuk Shahril Azuar Jimin, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Maybank; Datuk Seri Khairussaleh Ramli, President & Group CEO, Maybank; Dr. Lay Sok Heng, Assistant Governor & Director General of Regulations and Financial Inclusion, National Bank of Cambodia; Edward Vrkic, Resident Representative, UNDP Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei Darussalam; Che Zakiah Che Din, Independent Non-Executive Director, Maybank; Sonja Gibbs, Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance, Global Policy Initiatives, IIF; Shasha Kartini Ridzam, Director of Sustainability, Bank Negara Malaysia; Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, IIF; Dr. Siew Chan Cheong, Group Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Maybank; Mohamed Rezwan Abdullah Ismail, Group Chief Risk Officer, Maybank and Mohd Amri Mohd Sofian, Head, Community Financial Services, Maybank at the IIF-Maybank Sustainable Finance Forum 2026.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) and the Institute of International Finance (IIF) have called for greater regional collaboration to mobilise capital for ASEAN's transition to a low-carbon economy.

The fourth annual IIF-Maybank Sustainable Finance Forum 2026, held in Kuala Lumpur, brought together 160 policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, investors, corporate representatives and sustainability leaders.

In a statement, Maybank said the forum focused on converting sustainability commitments into bankable projects, particularly in transition finance, energy, climate resilience, carbon markets and blue finance.

Maybank group chief sustainability officer Datuk Shahril Azuar Jimin said mobilising capital for the region's transition would require closer cooperation across the financing ecosystem.

He said collaboration between policymakers, financial institutions, investors and businesses was necessary to bridge the gap between sustainability commitments and implementation.

Discussions covered financing structures, investor expectations and the challenges of balancing decarbonisation with energy security and affordability.

Participants also examined investment opportunities in renewable energy, energy efficiency, grid modernisation and regional connectivity, including the development of the ASEAN Power Grid.

Other sessions addressed climate resilience financing, high-integrity carbon markets and opportunities to expand blue finance across the region.

Shahril said Asean's transition should address both decarbonisation and economic development, while ensuring affordable energy, industrial competitiveness and resilient infrastructure.

“For Asean, transition cannot be a choice between decarbonisation and development. The real test is whether we can deliver both.

“And for those of us who provide capital, our responsibility is not simply to finance what is already green. It is to help make the transition possible where it is most difficult, most consequential and most needed. That is how ambition becomes investment, and investment becomes impact. And ultimately, that is how Asean moves forward, together,” he said.

The forum, now in its fourth year, has attracted nearly 800 participants since its inception, comprising senior public and private sector representatives.

The IIF represents about 400 financial institutions across more than 60 countries, with Maybank being its only Malaysian member.