The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Philippines hosted the first in-person meeting this year of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Taxonomy Board (ATB) as part of its strong commitment to advancing the growth of sustainable investments in the region.

Last January 223, the SEC welcomed ASEAN delegates to the SEC Headquarters in Makati City for the ATB meeting, as part of its chairship of the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum (ACMF), where it seeks to push for sustainable and adaptation financing, among other priorities.

Established in 2021 under the auspices of the ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting, the ATB aims to develop, promote, and maintain the ASEAN Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance (ASEAN Taxonomy), which classifies economic activities to help orient global capital flows into sustainable activities in ASEAN.

The in-person ATB meeting focused on the progress of key initiatives supporting the ASEAN Taxonomy, including accelerating the implementation and adoption of its Version 4, developing the mitigation co-benefit and Adaptation for Resilience (mARs) Guide, and deepening the region’s sustainable finance ecosystem through stronger stakeholder engagement and capacity-building initiatives.

The mARs Guide aims to accelerate investments that strengthen ASEAN’s resilience to climate-related risks, including floods, droughts, and extreme heat. Published in 2025, its ACMF-led Whitepaper sets out the key principles and methodological approaches underpinning this work.

Building on these efforts, the SEC Philippines also hosted the mARs Guide Workshop, tackling the Guide’s governance structure, as well as its conceptual approach and proposed enhancements in subsequent phases.

“We see the value of the mARs Guide and have prioritized its development as a key output under the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship. Today, we move mARs beyond highlighting the need for mitigation and adaptation toward delivering a guide that provides clear and practical guidance for ASEAN capital markets,” SEC Philippines Commissioner McJill Bryant T. Fernandez said.

He added that, “With these objectives in mind, we look forward…to working closely with all of you as we transform this Guide into concrete and actionable outcomes—which will not only unlock more investable opportunities in the region but also ensure a sustainable future for all.”

The ATB meeting forms part of the SEC Philippines’ ACMF chairship activities for the year, which pushes the agenda for regional integration, inclusivity, sustainable finance, and collaborative enforcement in Southeast Asia’s capital markets, in line with the ASEAN 2026 Chairship theme, “Navigating Our Future, Together” and the ACMF Action Plan 2026 to 2030.

The Commission aims to fulfill the Priority Economic Deliverable on Sustainable and Resilient Capital Markets through key outputs, including the ASEAN Code of Conduct for External Verifiers in Sustainable Finance, the expansion of the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard Regional Assessment, and the completion of the next phase of the mARs Guide, among others. (James A. Loyola)