Seville, Spain, June 30–July 3, 2025 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) participated in the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) to co-host side events and engage in high-level dialogues aimed at advancing sustainable finance solutions for developing and emerging economies to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Led by Director-General Sang-Hyup Kim, the GGGI delegation contributed to key conversations on sustainable finance instruments, including thematic bonds, and debt-for-nature swaps.

GGGI’s mission and work alongside its Member States, are strongly aligned with the objectives of FFD4. As a key institutional partner in the sustainable finance space, GGGI brings considerable experience in working with national development banks, mobilizing green investment commitments, and leveraging flagship initiatives such as the Korea Green New Deal Trust Fund (KGNDTF) and the Global Trust Fund (GTF) on Sustainable Finance Instruments to improve sustainable finance in emerging economies by enhancing policy frameworks, strengthening national green finance ecosystems, and building the capacity of market participants. 

On July 1, GGGI co-hosted the side event “Unlocking Sustainable Finance through Quasi Sovereigns: Accelerating Sustainable Investments in Emerging Economies” in collaboration with CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. The session fostered dialogue among key stakeholders in territorial development and examined strategic pathways to increase resource mobilization for subnational development. It also showcased the catalytic role of quasi-sovereigns, including national development banks and subnational entities, in mobilizing resources for sustainable development.  

The event was joined by high-level speakers including Mr. Gianpiero Leoncini, Executive Vice President of CAF; Mrs. Kate Hampton, CEO of The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation; Mr. Jaime Diaz Palacios, Executive Vice-President of Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI); Mr. Jorge Velarde, President of the Board of Directors of COFIDE (Peru’s National Development Bank); and Mr. Nicolas Picchiottino, Secretary General of the International Development Finance Club and Head of Public Development Banks Mobilization Division at Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and Mr. Ferruccio Santetti, Regoinal Director of the Latin American and the Carribean (LAC) in GGGI.  

“National development banks and other quasi-sovereign entities must be recognized as essential actors in mobilizing domestic resources and closing financing gaps at the local level,” emphasized Director-General Sang-Hyup Kim during the event. “At GGGI, we are deeply committed to helping unlock this potential. We are proud to be working with several of today’s panelists to deliver real, on-the-ground impact to advance sustainable financial solutions in emerging markets,” he added.  

On July 2, GGGI co-organized the high-level workshop “The Future of Commercial Debt Conversions for Nature and Climate” together with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and CAF. The session examined the effectiveness of commercial debt conversions as a source of finance for SDGs, with a focus on opportunities, challenges, and enabling roles to scale these instruments. Government representatives, development finance institutions, and technical experts shared perspectives on the evolving market for debt conversions and discussed the importance of leveraging them to support conservation and climate outcomes that also contribute to broader SDG progress.  

GGGI also participated in a clean hydrogen roundtable co-hosted with the Chamber of Commerce of Seville, where it introduced its Hydrogen to Green Growth (H2G) initiative. The discussion explored Spain’s hydrogen strategy and the potential for international cooperation to advance clean hydrogen as both a climate mitigation and economic development solution. GGGI reiterated its commitment to supporting Member States and Partner countries in project development, investment facilitation, and creating enabling environments for hydrogen-based transitions through the H2G initiative.  

Looking ahead, GGGI remains committed to enhancing access to sustainable finance in collaboration with the developing and emerging economies. Through knowledge sharing, cross-sector partnerships, and scalable instruments, GGGI will continue working alongside its Member States and partners to build inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon economies.  

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For more information, visit:  https://gggi.org 

Romain Brillie 

Director, Department of Strategy and Communications
+82 10 9530 0170 | brillie.romain@gggi.org 

Na Yoon Kang 

Senior Assistant, Communications & Knowledge Sharing Unit
+82 10 9530 0338 | nayoon.kang@gggi.org