Following the departure of its inaugural head of sustainability Rachel Teo last August, Emily Chew joins the Singapore sovereign wealth fund from Morgan Stanley’s responsible investing subsidiary.

Driven by Sembcorp's controversial divestment of its Indian coal plants last year, Singapore's state investor – which still has no fossil fuel exclusion policy in place – reported a 5 per cent drop in portfolio emissions from 2010 levels.

Eufrocinio Bernabe Jr, assistant secretary at the Department of Finance, making a pitch for the Maharlika Investment Fund at 'Unlocking capital for sustainability' Philippines, says it is an additional source of capital for renewables.

Observers are sceptical if the finance facility can solve the fiscal burdens of the debt-ridden nation. Unlike China and Singapore which run similar mechanisms, the Philippines does not enjoy rich budget surpluses.