DBS is partnering with the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) to develop financing approaches and internal banking capabilities for climate adaptation and resilience in the APAC region.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Temasek’s Ecosperity 2026 sustainability event in Singapore.
Through the collaboration, DBS and CBI will jointly publish research identifying investable climate adaptation opportunities in sectors such as energy and real estate.
The research will combine CBI assessment methodologies with regional market data from DBS.
The bank is also launching an internal capability-building programme to help its relationship managers and assessment teams integrate climate resilience factors into core banking processes.
Staff will receive foundational and advanced training on how to avoid maladaptation risks and monitor the impact of resilience investments.
“Unlike mitigation projects, which typically generate clear and predictable cash flows, many adaptation investments are centred on loss avoidance,”
said Shilpa Gulrajani, Head of Sustainable Finance, Institutional Banking Group, DBS.
Gulrajani added that this dynamic makes adaptation projects inherently more challenging to finance using conventional approaches, highlighting the need for new frameworks.
“Financing resilience investment has become critical to avoid derailing economies and increasing default risk,”
said Sean Kidney, CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative.
The partnership aligns with a growing domestic focus on physical climate risks.
Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment has designated 2026 as the Year of Climate Adaptation.
Broader estimates cited during the announcement indicate that economies will need over US$365 billion annually by 2035.
This is to develop resilient infrastructure capable of withstanding climate shocks such as floods and heatwaves.
Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Rashed_stock via Magnific
