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SFi January 2026 Newsletter
- annashuvalova2
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
Hello Impact Community,
Welcome to 2026!
Last year, our community leveraged several high‑impact deals that closely reflected the top thematics expressed in our annual investor survey – ranging from climate resilience and ocean health to regenerative and nature‑based solutions. A highlight of the year was the Ocean Innovators Platform, which convened investors, founders, and ecosystem partners to explore cutting‑edge approaches in the blue economy and nature‑based innovation. Despite a year marked by headwinds such as geopolitical tension, market volatility, and cautious sentiment in mainstream markets, key tailwinds emerged through growing participation from family offices and renewed investor confidence in specialist impact funds.
Looking ahead to 2026, we see both opportunities and challenges: while macro uncertainty may persist, investor appetite continues to strengthen around climate resilience, nature‑based solutions, oceans, and transition energy – themes that are shaping the next wave of impact strategies in Asia Pacific and beyond.
SFi as a Leading Voice in Impact
This month, SFi continued to fulfil our role as a leading voice in impact in APAC. We published two SFi Insights articles on Blue Economy and Faith Driven Investing, that deepened our focus on ocean health and values‑aligned capital.
In “Ocean Impact Starts Here: Hong Kong’s Role in Asia Pacific’s Blue Prosperity,” co‑authored with the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco, we highlighted how policy reforms, landmark studies, and innovators such as Archireef and the Ocean Innovators Platform can help Hong Kong move from pilots to scale – leveraging its capital‑markets depth and maritime heritage to finance restoration, decarbonise ports, and unlock a new chapter of ocean‑positive growth for the Greater Bay Area and wider region.
In “Faith-Based Investing: How Asia Pacific Is Shaping the Future of Values-Driven Capital,” we explored how the region’s diverse faith traditions, growing impact ecosystem, and pools of long‑term private capital can be harnessed to translate spiritual values into concrete impact objectives, bridge funding gaps for faith‑aligned organisations, and position Asia Pacific as a key engine for the next wave of values‑driven capital.
On 28 January, our CEO Katy Yung was also a panelist at the International Forum for Impact Investing 2026. Speaking on a panel discussing the impact journeys of Asian family offices, Katy shared our observation on Asian impact investors, who tend to take an entrepreneurial, private‑markets‑focused approach, prioritising direct investments that align with family values whilst in parallel targeting competitive, near‑market returns. The panel also delved into Hong Kong’s suitability as a hub of impact finance, which lies in its strong financial infrastructure, regulatory familiarity, deep cross‑border expertise, and ability to channel family capital into China and broader Asian impact opportunities.
Save the Date: SFi Impact Week 2026
Impact investing is accelerating globally, with Asia Pacific emerging as a key driver of innovation and capital mobilisation.
SFi Impact Week 2026 – taking place in Hong Kong from 1 – 5 June – will convene a global community of investors, family offices and ecosystem leaders committed to turning purpose into measurable progress.
At the heart of the week is the SFi Impact Summit on Wednesday, 3 June, our flagship gathering of over 275+ impact allocators and builders from across APAC and beyond. Under the theme Capital in Action | Impact in Motion, participants will explore real-world cases, share actionable insights, and scale collaborative pathways to unlock greater impact across portfolios and communities.
Interested in shaping the conversation?
Speak at the SFi Impact Summit – Share thought leadership through keynotes, sessions or panels. Learn more
Partner with us – Host or co-create ecosystem events across the Impact Week. Learn more
Attend the SFi Impact Summit – Add it to your calendar – early bird passes will be available soon!
Our events are exclusive to SFi members unless stated otherwise. If you’re not yet part of our community and would like to join our events – along with gaining access to other member benefits – get in touch to learn more about becoming an SFi member.
ReElement Technologies, an innovator in processing and refining critical minerals and rare earth elements, raised USD200M in Growth funding from Transition Equity Partners.
In a major offtake agreement, Indian carbon removal startup Varaha has signed a three-year deal with Microsoft to deliver over 100,000 tonnes of durable biochar-based CO₂ removal in India.
Davos 2026 put the “urgent imperative” of massively scaling private climate finance to emerging markets at the centre of its agenda, with pathways discussed to mobilise up to USD1.3 trillion annually by 2035.
On 31 December 2025, Hong Kong launched its updated Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP)– a 10‑year roadmap to protect nature, strengthen sustainability, and align local actions with global biodiversity goals – featuring four strategic areas, and key initiatives including the promotion of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework.
SFi congratulates our member, Guneet Banga, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Parinama Group, who leads climate technology investments at the intersection of finance, sustainability and innovation to drive practical climate solutions, on being named one of CEO Insights India’s Top 10 Visionary Indian Business Leaders – 2025.
JLL on Where the Market Prices “Sustainability Value” in Real Estate
As family offices and impact investors increasingly look to real assets as a lever for decarbonisation and resilience, understanding where the market is placing “sustainability value” in buildings is critical. “The JLL Sustainability Value-add Barometer indicates that demand for low-carbon leases and growing concern for physical climate risk are now primary drivers of sustainability-led value in Hong Kong,” notes Caitlin Shem, JLL Head of Sustainability Consulting for Hong Kong and Taiwan. Building on this insight, the article explores how retrofitting the city’s aging building stock can unlock significant investment, enhance resilience and accelerate the adoption of future-ready, low-carbon buildings.
Click the links below to register or find out more about upcoming events
** denotes events where SFi are speakers
7 February: Faith Driven Investor (FDI) Conference with a local watch party (Hong Kong)
24-27 February: Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development 2026 (APFSD) (Bangkok, Thailand)
For members, please add events@sustainablefinance.hk to your contacts and kindly confirm your attendance via the calendar invitation for all SFi-related events.
We welcome Family Office Principals, Private Investors managing endowments or foundations, and NextGen Investors to connect with us and explore the benefits of joining the Sustainable Finance Initiative community. Become part of a network of like-minded changemakers driving impact across Asia Pacific and beyond – and gain access to members-only opportunities designed to support your sustainable investment journey.
