(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) EINPresswire / -- As climate and biodiversity risks intensify, Cathay Financial Holdings (Cathay FHC) once again demonstrated its global leadership at Climate Week NYC-a premier international climate platform preceding the UN Climate Summit (COP)-marking its fourth consecutive participation.

According to the World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Risks Report, the top three long-term global threats are extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse. In this context, Cathay FHC continues to exemplify how financial institutions can catalyze systemic change by mobilizing capital, forging partnerships, and advancing financial innovation.

On September 25, Cathay FHC Chief Investment Officer, Sophia Cheng, represented Taiwan at the World Climate & Biodiversity Summit (WCBS). During a feature panel“Financing the Transition: Closing the Gap for Climate and Nature Action,” Cheng highlighted Cathay's decade-long track record of proving that profitability and sustainability are mutually reinforcing. She underscored that collective progress demands cross-sector collaboration, proactive leadership, and resource mobilization. Financial institutions, Cheng stressed, must go beyond funding-partnering with stakeholders to co-design projects, share expertise, and enable scalable transition pathways.

As the sole representative from Taiwan's financial sector, Cathay FHC's presence drew strong attention, signaling Taiwan's growing role in global climate and biodiversity discussions.

Held in the lead-up to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, WCBS gathered governments, corporates, and financiers to accelerate integrated climate and nature solutions. Over the past decade, Cathay FHC has advanced initiatives across climate, water, and biodiversity-not only through financing but also by supporting project design, investment readiness, and knowledge sharing. Cheng's remarks-urging financial institutions to pair curiosity with accountability while cultivating a sustainable finance ecosystem-resonated widely.

Cheng also showcased Cathay FHC's nature finance innovations, including support for AVPN's Asia's Clean Energy Transition Initiative (ASCENT), which connects high-potential clean energy projects with investors. She advocated for more matchmaking platforms to accelerate sustainable partnerships. In addition, Cathay FHC has pioneered biodiversity finance by backing biodiversity credit methodologies developed by National Taiwan University Experimental Forest and soil sustainability initiatives led by partner ShinShen-Green. These efforts aim to embed the real value of nature in financial decision-making, creating replicable practices that inspire cross-sector participation.

Looking ahead to COP30, Cheng called on the global finance community to close the“nature action gap” through three key pathways:
.Inclusive investment participation – Every financial institution should engage in at least one investable sustainable project, as collective participation accelerates systematic change.
.Blended finance leverage – Each dollar of concessional capital can mobilize roughly four times more commercial funding; such models are vital to scale transition finance.
.Just transition – True sustainability requires inclusiveness and equity, ensuring transformation is achieved through collaboration-not capital dominance-delivering the“triple win” of People, Planet, and Profit.

Cathay FHC remains steadfast in aligning with global sustainability frameworks, enhancing its ESG capabilities, and pursuing its vision to become the“Best Financial Institution in Asia-Pacific.” In November, Cathay FHC will extend its leadership at COP30 in Belém, further showcasing Taiwan's determination to drive climate resilience and biodiversity conservation through concrete financial actions.

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