During the International Workshop on “Nature, Macroeconomy, and Finance” held at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) head office in Manila, central bank governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. recently underscored the urgency of understanding the impact of nature on emerging economies, especially in understanding its risks, opportunities, and policy challenges.

​BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. (sixth from left) led the opening of the International Workshop on “Nature, Macroeconomy, and Finance” at the BSP Head Office in Manila. With him in the photo are (from left): BSP Assistant Governor and Chief of Staff Pia Bernadette Roman Tayag, BSP Research Academy (BRAc) Director Veronica B. Bayangos, BRAc Assistant Governor Laura L. Ignacio, Monetary Board Member (MBM) Romeo L. Bernardo, London School of Economics – Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment (LSE-GRICCE) Executive Director Simon Dikau, LSE-GRICCE Economist Thessa Vasudhevan, and LSE-GRICCE Senior Policy Fellow Elena Almeida, WWF-Singapore Ltd. Assistant Vice President Pina Saphira, WWF – Singapore Financial Advisor Adam Ng, MBM V. Bruce J. Tolentino, MBM Rosalia V. De Leon, and Department of Finance Chief Economic Counselor Zeno Ronald R. Abenoja.

The workshop, which was held from January 29 to 30, was a joint initiative of the BSP, the London School of Economics and Political Science-Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the International Network for Sustainable Financial Policy Insights, Research, and Exchange  (INSPIRE).

It gathered researchers from diverse backgrounds, policymakers, regulators, and representatives from the academe, multilateral agencies, and financial institutions who discussed about urgent risks that the world economy now faces due to the degradation of nature through economic activities including deforestation and land use change.

Monetary Board Member V. Bruce J. Tolentino (right) moderates a panel discussion on financial inclusion and MSME opportunities during the International Workshop on “Nature, Macroeconomy, and Finance” held at the BSP Head Office in Manila. With him are panel members (from left:)  BDO President and CEO Nestor V. Tan; Asian Development Bank Principal Financial Sector Specialist Ahmad Faris Rabidin; Dutch Fund for Climate and Development and WWF-Hong Kong Regional Lead Stuart Beavis; BSP Financial Inclusion OIC Mynard Bryan R. Mojica, and BPI Vice President and Head of Sustainability Office Jo Ann B. Eala.

During the workshop, it was highlighted that protecting nature and biodiversity, especially for a country like the Philippines, is an integral part of the campaign to ensure climate resilience.

Taken from the perspective of emerging market economies, the workshop also delved into the dynamics, dependencies, and impact of nature on ecosystem services, opportunities, and financial risks.

The workshop also highlighted policy challenges of nature in the macroeconomy and the financial sector.

BSP fulfilling mandate to promote financial stability

In his speech, BSP Governor Remolona said, “The BSP’s mandate is to promote financial stability. Thus, we have been building our analytical and research capabilities to monitor the nature-related risks in the financial system.”

Beyond managing the risks, the BSP aims to encourage financing for projects and activities aligned with the country’s climate objectives. Thus, the BSP has co-developed with other agencies the first sustainable finance taxonomy of the country. The taxonomy is foundational for further climate initiatives, such as the development of carbon markets.

The workshop tackled the importance of green taxonomy and prospects for integrating nature in financial policy; the current state and challenges of compiling data on nature; potential policy implications for supervisors of nature-related risks; and cutting-edge research themes on nature. 

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A highlight of the workshop was a panel session on financial inclusion and how micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) may potentially embrace environmental considerations.

Moderated by Monetary Board Member V. Bruce J. Tolentino, the panel members featured insights from the BSP, financial institutions, and development funders on the challenges and opportunities in promoting financial inclusion to drive nature-resilience of the economy and the MSMEs.

The workshop in the Philippines is the fourth by INSPIRE in Southeast Asia, following a roundtable workshop with regional regulators in Singapore, and separate events it organized with Bank Indonesia and Bank Negara Malaysia.

By Ralph Fajardo

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