Hong Kong aims to be an 'impact capital' hub

In her welcome address, Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO of AVPN, Asia's largest network of social investors, noted that the world has seen foreign aid decline to Asia for the first time in five years. Climate progress, she said, has regressed and it is projected that over 260 million people in the region "could be pushed into poverty within the next decade".

Alongside urgency and trust, she said "we need ambition". Batra noted that it has been a decade since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, yet the financing gap remains at $4 trillion.

"But I still think that this is a remarkable opportunity for us to really drive progress. Home to more than half of the world's population. Asia Pacific is not just a key player. It is a critical driver of global impact," she said.

But in order to push ahead, "we must stop leading from the sidelines", she said.

"It is time that we need our Asian voices to shape the agenda. And we need to set the pace. We need to offer solutions that are rooted in the reality of our region, that are contextualized in our culture and we need to take our seat at the global table," Batra said.

She said the theme for this year's conference, which is "Asian Leadership for an inclusive world", reflects Asia's collective power and "our (aim) to drive change, our capacity to really make the world a more inclusive place".

"Global progress begins with Asia's leadership," Batra said, adding that the leadership has to come through "demonstrating the clarity of our voices, and the confidence that we must have to claim our seat at the table".

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, chief executive officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said during his keynote speech that the Club has been committed to serving the Hong Kong community for more than a century. The club celebrated its 140th anniversary last year.

"It is fitting that this conference is being held in Hong Kong for the first time," he said, adding that giving back to the community "is part of our DNA".

Engelbrecht-Bresges said that the Jockey Club has evolved from a funder to proactive community partner, identifying and initiating programs, as well as forming long-term partnerships.

He said in the past three years alone, the Club's trust has donated HK$26.5 billion ($3.4 billion) to support 622 projects benefiting 1.5 million people in Hong Kong.

"Our city has a deep philanthropic tradition and sits at the intersection of East and West, of capital and community. It has the potential to be a true hub for solutions that are designed in Asia, for Asia and beyond," said Engelbrecht-Bresges.

The AVPN Global Conference 2025 agenda includes announcements on funding grantees from the Building Resilient Communities for the Future: CapitaLand Community Resilience Initiative; The Lighthouse Fund: Catalyst for Climate x Health Innovation in Asia; and Gender-Just Climate Solutions: AVPN Asia Gender Equality Fund Round 3.