Momentum of coal phase-out deals to heat up with its inclusion in the Asean Taxonomy
SOUTH-EAST Asian bankers expect the pace of phasing out coal to heat up as recent changes to a regional sustainable finance framework potentially allow more financing of such projects.
Recent updates to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Taxonomy allow for coal power plants to access sustainable financing — on the condition that they are retired in a sufficiently timely manner.
The change brought some regulatory clarity to a controversial aspect of sustainable financing: How to transition away from thermal coal in a way that not only achieves climate goals but also meets the needs of communities that are highly dependent on the fossil fuel for power.
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